Just How Far I've Fallen
by Kakashis-First-Kiss
Summary: Pre-/Post- Massacre. As Itachi is questioned about Shisui's suicide, Sasuke watches, afraid of what his brother had become. Later, a warrant is obtained for Itachi's arrest, and Sasuke is suddenly facing life without his brother. Can Itachi be saved?
1. Chapter 1

"Itachi! Are you there? We want to talk to you!"

Itachi sighed, standing up from the porch. "Coming!" he called into the house. Sasuke glanced up at his brother with worried eyes. What was going on? The younger Uchiha decided to tag along and find out. His followed his big brother through the house, all the way from the back to the front door. He hung back a bit, though; he wasn't sure if Itachi would allow him to stay if he knew what was there. Itachi answered the door, and Sasuke stayed back in the kitchen. He was close enough to see and hear what was going on, but far enough away that no one would see him if he chose not to be seen. Sasuke could see three clan members in the open doorway; all of them, he recognized, were from the police force. And they didn't look happy with Itachi.

"Only two people missed the meeting yesterday night," Inabi began. "Where were you?"

_So Itachi _didn't _go! _Sasuke realized. _But why?_

Itachi seemed unfazed. "I was on a mission," he replied vaguely. "Why do you ask?"

"Shisui also missed the meeting," Tekka said smoothly. "He committed suicide last night by throwing himself into the Nakano River. We know that you two were like brothers."

Itachi's eyes slowly closed, and then opened again, but only halfway. To Sasuke, it almost looked as if his brother was bored with the situation. "That's unfortunate," Itachi said, deadpan toned and still looking bored. "But I haven't seen him in a while."

"He left a suicide note," Yashiro said, pulling a small piece of paper out of his belt. "It's all on this paper. A handwriting analysis was conducted; there's no doubt he wrote it."

"If there's no indication of murder," Itachi said coldly, "Why are you investigating this?" The teen accepted the paper, opening it and reading it.

"For a Sharingan user, copying handwriting is easy."

Sasuke felt his heart skip a beat. It almost sounded as if they were accusing Itachi of killing Shisui! He remained where he was, though: interfering probably wasn't in his best interests right now. Itachi appeared not to b taking any of this seriously, and the three policemen looked simply furious. Sasuke reverted his attentions to the doorway: it seemed things were getting rough. He had just felt a rise in chakra four times-one for each member of the conflict in the doorway.

"Why don't you just say it?" Itachi was snarling, fingers tightening like a vice over the copy of Shisui's suicide note. "You think I did this?"

"As a matter of fact," Tekka growled, "we do. You child!"

"Itachi, if you try to betray the clan," Yashiro snarled, "You won't get away with it!"

Itachi had moved in a second; he was all over the three men in the doorway, felling them with punches, kicks, and other harsh blows. Within the same breath, Itachi had dropped all three policemen to the ground.

"Don't judge people based on your preconceptions," Itachi said menacingly. "You overestimate yourselves, and have no idea the depth of my power. Which is exactly why you're crawling in the dirt right now."

Sasuke shrank back, almost shaking with fear now. _I've never seen Itachi nii-san like this before,_ he thought, hiding behind the wall. _What's wrong with him?!_

"You obsess over worthless things like the clan," Itachi continued, "while neglecting important things: premonition and imagination. There is no room for change if rules and regulations and expectations don't allow it. These things should be done away with; they restrain us."

"Itachi, stop!"

Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. His father was here! He would stop Itachi's madness!

"Itachi, what is wrong with you?" Fugaku said, glaring at his son. "Ever since you've joined ANBU, you've been acting rather strangely."

Itachi paused. "I'm carrying out my duty," he finally said, still being vague. "There's nothing strange about that."

"Then why didn't you come last night?" Fugaku pressed.

Itachi moved like lightning again; before Fugaku had even finished the last of his words, a kunai was already in Itachi's hands. Fugaku looked stunned, as if he expected an attack. But Itachi surprised them again, sending the kunai deep into the Uchiha crest painted on the wall. "My ability's been repressed by this pathetic clan," he growled. Itachi's head was low, and his bangs hung over his eyes, but the malice and hatred was still clearly evident there. "Let go of this lesser annoyance; no change can ever be made!"

"Such insolence!" Fugaku exclaimed. He helped Yashiro to his feet; Tekka and Inabi were already at Fugaku's side.

"Enough!" Yashiro proclaimed. "If you keep spouting such arrogant words, we'll arrest you!"

Sasuke whimpered with fear, drawing back even further behind the wall. Still, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the situation unfolding before him. It was as if Itachi was holding him in a genjutsu, forcing him to witness this side of his brother-this…this _animal _that was living inside of Itachi, that had finally come out. Itachi's words came back to Sasuke: _This is what happens when you're the best. Power makes you arrogant…makes you isolated._

"Well, what are you going to do?" Tekka pressed. Itachi, silent after Fugaku scolded him, still remained so. "We aren't going to allow this anymore!" the man continued. "Captain, please issue the order for an arrest!"

"Nii-san! _Stop it!!"_

Sasuke could hardly believe he had been the one to speak. In fact, he hadn't even spoken: he had _screamed. _Itachi did a double-take at the sound of his brother's voice. He froze, waiting for someone-anyone-to make a move. When no one did, he suddenly relaxed his posture, and gave everyone else the last shock.

He fell to his knees, prostrate before his father and the policemen in a deep bow.

"The one who killed Shisui was no me," he said softly. "But I apologize for…my inappropriate remarks. Please, forgive me."

Fugaku slowly exhaled, closing his eyes in thought. He was aware that everyone was suddenly looking to him; he was clearly in charge of the situation. "He's an ANBU," he finally said. "even we can't arrest him without a warrant. I'll be in charge of watching over Itachi."

"Captain-!" Yashiro began to protest. Fugaku cut him off with a scathing glare, and the man slowly backed down. "I understand," he muttered. Fugaku nodded once, and the stepped away from the group.

"Itachi, inside," he said shortly. As he neared the doorway, Sasuke stepped back a bit to allow his father to pass, but did not back away completely. Fugaku seemed to ignore him; Itachi seemed to be his prime concern. But as Itachi slowly began to sit up, Sasuke caught his murderous glare-and Itachi's eyes changed.

From a normal, three-tomoe Sharingan, they blurred into three marks that looks like bent triangles around a hollow red center. Sasuke did a double-take at the look in his brother's eyes: so red they looked as if they were bleeding, dark as night, red as blood, deadly as sin-

Itachi stood up, and his eyes faded to a normal black.

Sasuke found himself suddenly terrified of his brother, and began backing away as Itachi entered the house. He tried to keep his eyes on his brother, searching for any sign that he would attack. But Sasuke kept backing up, fear evident in his every feature. He thought he was at the door, and took one step back-

He hit the wall.

Sasuke yelped with surprise and pain as he fell to the floor, landing on his rear and smacking his head on the wall. Itachi's head snapped to face him, surprise written into his handsome features. But his look softened to pity as he saw what had happened, and walked over to Sasuke, with the aim of comforting his baby brother. Itachi reached out, taking Sasuke into his arms and kneeling down in front of him. He pulled Sasuke into his lap, wrapping one arm around Sasuke's shaking shoulders and using his other hand to hold Sasuke's rump, supporting his weight as he stood up again and began carrying his brother into another room. "I'm sorry I scared you," Itachi whispered, holding Sasuke to his shoulder. Sasuke wrapped his arms around Itachi's neck, clutching at his older brother and willing him never to leave him. "Calm down," Itachi continued, walking into the living room with Sasuke. His father was there already, standing in the middle of the room with his arms folded, looking absolutely furious.

"Put him down."

There was venom in Fugaku's voice as he spoke, and Itachi wisely decided not to push him much farther. He wordlessly set Sasuke down on the ground, only to have the child cling to his leg. As soon as Itachi straightened again, though, Fugaku raised a fist and struck him-hard. Itachi fell to the floor, catching himself with his arms and trying to raise himself up enough to pose a challenge to his father if a fight was started. Sasuke whimpered and crawled on top of Itachi, still clinging to his brother like a burr. "Nii-san," Sasuke whispered, suddenly afraid for his brother. Had his father hurt him? Itachi raised a hand, wiping the blood off his face from a split lip. Both of Sasuke's small hands fisted themselves in Itachi's shirt, and the elder Uchiha put an arm around Sasuke's small body to hold him close as he stood up again.

"Don't scare him," Itachi said monotonously, putting his other arm around Sasuke as well. Sasuke buried his face in Itachi's shoulder, trying to keep as close to Itachi as possible-so Fugaku wouldn't hit Itachi again.

"He saw you earlier," Fugaku snapped. "If that's not enough to scare him, a little slap is nothing."

"It knocked me flat," Itachi said, still speaking flatly and in the same deadpan tone he used when bored. "It'll scare him, even if I did let you do that."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed, but he continued. "Itachi, I'm going to speak very frankly with you. That little display was appalling. I can't even begin to imagine how I'm going to punish you for that. Or better yet, how to approach that! I have no idea what possessed you-I don't even think you did! Your poor brother over there-he was scared of you so badly, I don't even know what you did to him to make him hang onto you like that."

Itachi shrugged the shoulder that Sasuke wasn't attached to. "Ask him yourself," he said shortly. "He came to me of his own free will; obviously, he can't be that scared of me. He probably just wants his brother back."

Fugaku glared at Itachi. "Look," he snarled, "you're under a lot of stress from ANBU. I can understand that. But what I can't understand is why you would pull this stunt instead of doing the mature thing! You acted childishly!"

Itachi's eyes narrowed, and his grip on Sasuke tightened. "I will not stand here and be insulted," he growled. "If you want to speak with me, do so in a way that recognizes me as your child, not your tool. I understand that I am in a position that also requires me to be a coworker to you as well as your son. But you may not forget that I am your son first and foremost!"

"Itachi, what you did endangered the lives of three police officers! That comes first!"

"It'll come first when you-"

"Nii-san! Enough! Stop! Listen to Father!"

"Sasuke, hush," Itachi whispered. "You're too young to understand this-"

"No I'm not!" Sasuke protested. "I don't want you to fight! I want you two to just…communicate with each other. I…I want my aniki back…"

Itachi sighed, gently running his hand over the side of Sasuke's head. "It's okay," he whispered, trying to calm Sasuke down. "I'm not going anywhere…I'll always be here for you. Didn't I promise you that? Don't worry about it…Father and I just need to sit down and talk to each other, to work this all out. But for now, Sasuke, just calm down…come on, you want something to eat?"

Sasuke nodded slowly, clinging to Itachi and trying to fight down tears. Itachi turned and left the room without another word, carrying Sasuke back into the kitchen. He set his brother down at the table, then walked over to the pantry and got him a cookie. Itachi was just walking back over to Sasuke when someone else knocked on the door. Itachi sighed and shook his head. "I'll be right back," he assured Sasuke, handing him the cookie. "Just sit tight, okay?"

Sasuke nodded, and began nibbling on the cookie. Itachi left the room, walking down the hallway and opening the door.

The three policemen from earlier stood there, one of them holding a piece of paper.

"We got the warrant. Uchiha Itachi, you are under arrest on the charges of treason, three counts of assault against officers, and obstruction of justice. You're coming with us, and then we'll see what Hokage-sama has to say about you!"

Itachi felt his temper boil over, and his chakra spiked. A kunai moved down his arm from his sleeve, into his hand, and his Sharingan sprang to life.

"Just try it," he challenged, lowering his body into a battle-ready crouch. "I dare you!"

**A/N: Yay. Itachi cares. And he gets arrested. Reviews, please. Constructive criticism, if you will. All flames will be reported and then fed to my pet fire demon.**


	2. Chapter 2

Sasuke had gotten up from the table when he heard Itachi's raised voice. He didn't want his brother getting in any more trouble. But as Sasuke stood up, his father walked into the kitchen. Fugaku took one look at Sasuke, and immediately knew where his son was planning on going. "Sit," he said firmly. "Don't interfere." Sasuke seemed to shrink seven times, and he knelt back down at the table, half-eaten cookie in hand. He said nothing; he knew that his father wouldn't hear of it. Fugaku breezed right past Sasuke, face set in stone and impossible to read. Sasuke sat at the table, trying to just sit and eat his cookie. He couldn't allow himself to get too worked up about it; he knew Fugaku needed to discipline his son, but letting him get arrested?! Sasuke knew his father would soon face a difficult decision: putting himself first in a position as Itachi's father, or as his boss. It was a position Fugaku never should have placed himself in, because it led to situations like these. Sasuke found his gaze in his lap, and his cookie gone. He swallowed the last bit, and then sat as quietly as he could to hear what was going on in the front hall. Fugaku's voice was easy to pick out: his was the loudest of all the voices, with Inabi's in a close second, and Itachi's the quietest.

But also the deadliest.

"How dare you?" he was growling, at both Inabi and his father. "You can't arrest me; I'm an ANBU!"

"We have a warrant, directly from Hokage-sama!" Yashiro protested. "We may arrest you. It doesn't matter that you're a minor; you are an ANBU first."

Itachi's eyes narrowed in anger. "And you think I'll just go quietly, huh?" he breathed, still seething with murderous intent. "I'm not exactly in a cheery mood right now, thanks to your ridiculous stunt earlier. Leave now, and you may leave with your bowels!"

"Itachi, that's enough," Fugaku said firmly. "Go with them. We'll sort this out with Hokage-sama; no lives need to be lost."

"I'm not speaking in terms of lives," Itachi said slowly. "I'm speaking in terms of internal organs."

"Itachi, just…" Fugaku sighed, putting one hand over his face. "Just go with them, and we'll see what happens, okay?"

Itachi still seemed rather stubborn. He dug in his heels, folded his arms across his chest, and gave a short, curt reply: "No."

Inabi was out of patience at that point. He lunged forward, at Itachi's turned back, metal glistening in his palm. Itachi spun around, catching sight of Inabi and whatever he held in his hand. Itachi's first thought was a kunai; he raised his hand, catching Inabi's hand in his own and pushing back. But, surprisingly, there was no pointed end to slide between his spread fingers. Itachi caught sight of the treacherous loop of metal too late, and it flicked out around his wrist, fastening with a _click._ Itachi recognized the threat immediately: handcuffs! He reached out, searching for his chakra to form a jutsu. His heart skipped a beat when he did, though: he couldn't feel his chakra! What the hell was with-? The handcuffs. It hit Itachi like a freaking brick. He had made arrests so many times, he had almost forgotten that handcuffs used in shinobi arrests had chakra restraints wrapped around the chain. If he could just get the damn seal off, he could fight back-! But no. Itachi knew that he was in trouble the second he was shoved into the wall, and the feeling of cold metal brushed his other palm. Itachi knew that three more people were on him, simply by counting the hands on his body. One on each shoulder; two more searching for hidden weapons; one on each arm, holding him still as two more hands pushed the handcuffs closed and locked them around Itachi's slender wrists. Itachi gave up at that point: four to one, and him with no chakra and very limited use of his hands. He would get more than a little roughed up, he knew. Itachi was stubborn, but he wasn't stupid.

"You stupid kid," Inabi was saying. "Don't even deserve the hearing Hokage-sama is giving you. You're just a spoiled little kid whose skill has gone to his head."  
Inabi's speech was halted by a hand on his shoulder. "Don't provoke him," Fugaku advised, and gently suggested to Inabi, with a gentle pull, that he go someplace else. Yashiro moved in, taking Itachi's right elbow and guiding him away from the house. But, strangely, Itachi put up no further fuss. He walked silently, staring at the ground, bangs hanging over his face in something resembling shame. Fugaku walked beside his son as he was marched down the streets; all the way to Hokage's Tower-on the complete opposite side of town. Itachi could feel the stares on his body, completely stripping him down and making judgments. He could almost feel the labels being slapped on his forehead as he walked down the road. Still, he remained silent, not putting up even another word of protest. Fugaku was surprised; Itachi, so full of fire and spirit and passion just a moment before, was now quieter than ever. Fugaku had never seen him this quiet. But it really wasn't fair of the other officers to parade him through the streets in such a manner. They were practically begging Itachi to kill them. As if Itachi needed temptation.

_He wears his heart  
safety pinned to his backpack  
His backpack is all that he knows  
Shot down by strangers  
whose glances can cripple  
the heart and devour the soul_

Finally, the group arrived at the Hokage's Tower. Tekka presented the two sentries outside the door with the papers of Itachi's arrest, including the papers for the hearing Sandaime had granted Itachi. The guards waved them through, and Itachi finally lifted his head. He suddenly seemed to be the same Itachi, full of pride, almost vanity. His hair fell away from his face; his eyes flashed again with the same defiant spark that usually preceded a killing.

_All alone he turns to stone  
while holding his breath after death  
Terrified of what's inside  
to save his life he crawls  
like a worm from a bird  
crawls like a worm from a bird_

"In."

Yashiro had opened a door, and motioned Itachi inside. Itachi stepped in, and Tekka, Yashiro, Inabi, and Fugaku all stepped in behind him. Inabi gripped Itachi's right upper arm, Tekka his left, and the two pulled him forward towards a raised desk at the far end of the room. Behind it, sitting in a large chair, was Sandaime, a crystal ball on a pillow in front of him. The old man was sitting forward, elbows braced on the desk and hands folded in front of his face. His fingers were laced together in front of the lower half of his face, hiding all but his stormy eyes. His gray eyes were fixated on Itachi, staring at him coldly, almost cruelly. Itachi was stopped halfway across the room, and the two Uchiha police who had accompanied him thus far remained standing next to him, both of them holding his arms. Sandaime rose from his seat, bracing both of his hands on the desk in front of himself, shoulders' width apart.

"May I ask what you were thinking?"

_Out of his mind the way  
pushes him whispering  
must have been out of his mind  
new day delusions are  
pushing this out of his head  
maybe out of his mind_

Itachi shrugged ambiguously. "Well, actually I was just thinking about what I was going to do for dinner," he said lightly. "I know we have rice and vegetables, but I'm not sure if we have steak. That would be nice, over the rice, if I steamed it-"

"Itachi, don't get smart with me," Sandaime warned. "I have given you certain allowances that I can certainly revoke, and will in a heartbeat if I feel necessary. Now, are you planning on cooperating, or not?"

_All alone he turns to stone  
while holding his breath after death  
Terrified of what's inside  
to save his life he  
crawls like a worm from a bird  
crawls like a worm from a bird_

Itachi shrugged. "Ask a question; I'll answer. Occasionally, I'll ask you a question to prove a point, or simply out of curiosity. Does that sound fair?"

Sandaime sighed. "Fair enough," he replied, "for Uchiha pride. Now, what were your reasons for attacking Tekka, Yashiro, and Inabi?"

"Long story short," Itachi began slowly, "They were accusing me unfairly of murder, and trespassing on private property. They were interrogating me without a warrant."

_All he knows  
If he can't relieve it, it grows  
and so it goes  
he crawls like a worm  
crawls like a worm from the bird_

Sandaime gave a small hum of affirmation, glancing at Tekka, on Itachi's left. "And, Tekka, were you in charge of this interrogation?"

Tekka shook his head. "Not I; Inabi." He gave Itachi a sidelong glance, but said nothing to directly address the teen. "But, Itachi agreed to be questioned, and so we proceeded to ask him questions in a non-invasive manner. We were not a step into his house."

"But you were on my front doorsteps," Itachi said coolly. "Which, technically, is still my property. And, so, you were trespassing. And I did not agree to be questioned, ever. I simply said nothing in regards to such until now."

_Out of his mind the way  
pushes him whispering  
must have been out of his mind_

Sandaime glared at Tekka. "If he did not agree to be questioned, you should not have spoken with him," he said quietly. "But Itachi, if you did not want these people on your property, did you instruct them to leave?"

"I did," Itachi said smoothly. He and every other Uchiha in the room, save for his father, knew he was lying straight through his teeth. All that remained was for Sandaime to decide who he believed. Itachi went on. "And they started to leave, but felt the need to provoke me further on their way out. We exchanged words, and I struck them down. I do not approve of being disrespected in such a way."

_All alone he turns to stone  
while holding his breath after death  
Terrified of what's inside  
to save his life he crawls  
like a worm from a bird  
crawls like a worm from a bird_

Fugaku watched his son in astonishment. He had reacted…so coldly…! He hadn't even batted an eye when he answered Sandaime in regards to the attacks-he had simply told him, and very flatly, what had happened. Fugaku had known Itachi was distant, and tended to simply lay all his cards on the table at once, but this…this was astounding! Who was this boy…man…teen…what was Itachi, anyway? In years, he was but thirteen. But in maturity, he was ancient. Fugaku hardly knew what to consider his own son anymore. He hardly even recognized him as his son-! Itachi had always been loyal to his clan, and put his duty fist. But this was immature beyond even a ten year old's years-no, not even. A ten year old's actions, but not a ninja. No ninja would ever do something do foolish, destructive, immature, thoughtless-oh, Fugaku could go on and on and on. He could hardly find the words to even begin with Itachi. But, fortunately, he didn't have to. Sandaime would handle it…

_All alone  
he's holding his breath after death  
Terrified to save his life  
he crawls like a worm  
Crawls like a worm from a bird  
crawls like a worm from a bird  
crawls like a worm from a bird  
crawls like a worm  
crawls like a worm  
crawls like a worm from a bird_

Itachi could hardly stand himself anymore. Well, this was a fine mess he had gotten himself into. But, with luck and skill, he could wiggle his way out of it. He raised his eyes to Sandaime, speaking with confidence and almost cockiness: "I couldn't believe the forwardness and directness of the police as they accused me of murdering my best friend. And then, they proceeded to pick a fight with me-right in front of my baby brother! I'm sure you know him: Sasuke. Traumatized, doubtless, because he had to watch his brother defend himself against charges of-dare I-murder?!"

"Itachi, that's quite enough," Sandaime snapped. "House arrest, a month. The rest of you, go about your normal business, but please do not speak to Itachi, except in dire need of such. Itachi, you will only be called upon for missions if you are absolutely needed. You are not to leave your house for any reason, except with express written consent of myself and supervision of someone of my approval. I will tell you know, a fellow ANBU or a family member other than Tekka, Yashiro, and Inabi is acceptable. But please confirm it with me first." Sandaime sat down, waving a hand at the group.

"All dismissed. Remove Itachi's handcuffs, and allow him to return home."

Itachi was smirking as he walked out of the room.

**A/N: I was so unbelievably floored by the number of reviews this story got immediately! And it's getting a ton of hits and visitors-you all have no idea how flattered I am! : ) Please keep up the good work; it makes me warm and fuzzy inside. Song is The Bird and the Worm by The Used.**


	3. Chapter 3

As Itachi walked home, he couldn't help but feel like every set of eyes in the street was on him. As he and his father walked home, Itachi made sure to keep his pretty, feminine nose thrust haughtily into the air, just to show his disproval. Inabi, Yashiro, and Tekka all walked slightly behind Itachi and Fugaku with their heads down, muttering murderous plots under their breath. Itachi ignored them: to him, they were far beneath him, and he didn't give a rat's ass what anyone else had to say about it. Itachi proceeded to walk right down the middle of the street in this manner, eventually out-pacing even Fugaku and striding ahead of his father. Fugaku allowed Itachi to walk ahead of him: he wasn't in the mood to fight with his son. It hardly meant anything, anyway. Itachi reached the house first, opened the door, and walked right in, leaving his shoes at the door. Itachi glanced around, looking for Sasuke. He had to admit, he expected his brother to be sitting by the door, waiting for him like an anxious puppy.

"Sasuke?" Itachi called. Itachi could hear a bit of scratching, scrambling, and then the dull thuds of feet hitting the wooden floors of the complex, and then Sasuke came careening into view. He didn't stop as his kidded around the turn into the front hallway; if anything, he sped up. Itachi crouched down in front of Sasuke, arms outstretched, and let Sasuke come to him. The second Sasuke's small arms were wrapped around Itachi's neck, the older Uchiha put his own arms around Sasuke's body, standing up and picking Sasuke up and off the ground as he did so. Itachi stood up completely, shifted Sasuke to one arm, and walked into the kitchen, going straight to the fridge at the far end of the room. Itachi and Sasuke's mother was in the room; she turned at the sound of footsteps, and a smile broke out across her face.

"Itachi, I'm so glad you're okay! Sasuke and I were so worried about you-there has to be a mistake, if you're getting arrested!"

"I'm fine, mother," Itachi assured her, opening the fridge and taking out a clear plastic bottle. Sasuke took a glance at the label: iced tea? He had never tried that before…it sounded good. He glanced at Itachi as his brother set the bottle down on the counter, unscrewed the top with one hand, and then began drinking from the bottle. Sasuke glanced at Itachi, hanging onto him as he leaned off to the side. Itachi set the bottle of iced tea down on the counter again, screwed the top back on, and then stuck it back in the fridge. "Don't do that," he said to Sasuke. "You'll fall."

Sasuke shrugged, but said nothing. Instead, he clung to his brother even tighter until Itachi twisted him back across his front and held him with one arm across his shoulders and the other underneath his rump. Sasuke wrapped his legs around Itachi's slender waist, and refused to let go.

"He's been so worried about you," Mikoko said, smiling sweetly at Itachi. "I was, too, but Sasuke…he wouldn't even come out of his room!"

Itachi tried to smile as he turned to Sasuke and said, "Is that so?" Sasuke nodded wordlessly, and buried his face in Itachi's shoulder. Itachi gently leaned down, setting Sasuke firmly on the floor before straightening himself up tall again. Sasuke stood close to Itachi, half behind his older brother's left leg and clinging to his shirt with both hands. Itachi smiled and gently laid a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, as if to reassure him that he was there.

Fugaku walked into the kitchen, and life seemed to come to a standstill.

Mikoko stopped in the middle of drying a plate, glancing over her shoulder at the sound of footsteps in the sudden silence. She looked deeply concerned, almost frightened. Itachi looked angry; he gave his father such an awful death-glare Fugaku felt the sudden urge to smack Itachi into the next room. But, he held himself in check, and instead walked past Itachi to greet his wife. Mikoko relaxed, and offered her husband a smile and a small kiss on the cheek. Fugaku returned the gesture, and then glanced at Sasuke and Itachi, who were standing behind the pair. Itachi gave a haughty sniff, thrust his petite nose into the air, and then walked away, Sasuke still clinging to him like a burr. Itachi walked through the entire house, heading for the backyard. He exited through the back door, sliding the thin rice paper and wood frame aside and then sliding it back into place behind himself. Sasuke followed, quiet, but out of the way for the most part. Itachi let him come with him; he was just going to throw a few shuriken. Maybe a bit of fire jutsu practice…Sasuke really liked watching him practice, anyway. Itachi could allow it.

"Nii-san?"

Itachi's step paused for a moment, but then resumed as if it had never hitched. "What, Sasuke?" Itachi asked. Sasuke seemed to shy a bit, but went ahead with his question:

"May I stay and watch you practice?"

Itachi allowed a smile to work its way over his normally-hard features. "Of course," he said, placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "I'll just be throwing a few shuriken, and maybe a little fire jutsu. You want to stay?"

"Uh-huh!" Sasuke nodded enthusiastically, smiling in his excitement. Itachi offered him another small smile.

"Well, then, let's go."

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Itachi, you shouldn't have voiced your dissent this early."

"My apologies, Madara-sama."

Itachi was down on one knee, head bowed, before his true master, Uchiha Madara. His superior frowned slightly, but said nothing more on the matter. "Rise, Itachi," he instructed, "And come with me." Itachi did as Madara instructed, standing up and following the older man as he walked away. Madara had instructed Itachi to meet him in the forest just outside the village borders-to the left of the gates, when you were walking out, and then look for the tree with the kunai in it. Wait there. Walk straight ahead, and you should have no trouble finding it. And Itachi had had no trouble. He wasn't even stuck waiting for Madara; his master had showed the second he did, as if a genjutsu had been lifted. And then Itachi had bowed, and he and Madara had gone through their usual routine. But, Madara asking Itachi to come with him somewhere? That was new. Itachi decided to just roll with it, though. It was always the best way to handle Madara. Madara was silent as he wove his way through the forest, Itachi trailing two steps behind him to show respect. Finally, Madara stopped, slightly beyond a rather large tree, and turned to Itachi. He stepped aside a bit, and motioned the teen forward. Itachi took three steps forward, until he was standing next to Madara and looking out over a large clearing. Itachi felt shock weave its way through his body: it was beautiful! A waterfall cascaded down over large rocks, pooling in a three-foot-deep pool underneath it and then flowing into a river that rushed back into the tree line and disappeared into the forest. The rest of the clearing was lush grass, with a few large, smooth rocks here and there. There were only two trees in the entire area, and they grew right across from each other on opposite sides of the river. Itachi looked upon the area in shock: clearly, this was made by someone intending to do so. Itachi glanced at Madara. Had his master done this?

"Do you like it?"

Itachi nodded wordlessly, swallowing hard as he took in the scene before him. The entire thing was magnificent! "It's beautiful," he finally managed to say. "How did you find it?"

Madara smiled softly, turning to look at Itachi. "I didn't find it," he replied softly, "I made it."

Itachi's eyes widened. So, it was true…the place was simply stunning. As expected of Madara. "It's so amazing," Itachi whispered. "I love it."

Madara's smile widened a bit. "I'm glad," he said. "Come; I need to show you where we will be meeting from now on."

Itachi nodded, and stepped out after Madara. The older man led him down to the waterfall itself, through the thick, lush grass and up the side of the mountainous side of the waterfall. They climbed up the rocks bordering the waterfall using chakra, until Madara stopped and began walking sideways along a narrow outcropping in the rock. Itachi followed, not questioning Madara or even asking about their destination. Madara usually got snappy with him when he asked questions like that. Itachi kept his silence. Madara walked up to the waterfall itself, and then stood, inches from the rushing water, his face almost touching the stream. Itachi could see his lips moving in the mystical glow of the moon, reflecting off the water, and could feel Madara's chakra leaking forth. Abruptly, the stream of water stopped, and Madara stepped underneath another outcropping of rock to enter a small, hidden cave. Itachi ducked in behind him, and he heard the rush of water falling back into place. There was a powerful rush of air, a strong smell of water, a strong roar-and then all was still again. The waterfall continued to gently roar, but it was much quieter than before. Madara led Itachi down the tunnel, through a gradually-widening entrance-way. Finally, it opened up into a rather large, fully furnished room. Itachi paused, and felt his jaw go slightly slack. The entire room…it was beautiful! It had a rich, blood red carpet over the stone floor, and had two couches, two armchairs, and a coffee table. The furniture was all cherry wood, and the fabric on some of the pieces was the same deep red as the carpet. There was a fireplace against the right wall, framed by cut stones and piled with firewood. Madara was walking around the room, setting lit sticks of incense in shallow bowls hanging from the ceiling. Madara noticed Itachi staring and smiled broadly.

"I'm going to take it you like this, as well?"

Itachi nodded, dumbfounded. "Madara-sama, it's…it's absolutely wonderful…I can't believe…"

Madara smiled and sat down in one of the armchairs, motioning Itachi over. The younger Uchiha took a seat on the couch opposite Madara, hesitantly lowering himself to the plush couch. He seemed slightly nervous, but tried to hide it. Madara smiled slightly at this.

"Itachi, my dear, what do you have to fear? You seem tense, a bit."

Itachi hesitated, but then shook his head furiously. "Nothing, Madara-sama," he said softly. "Just a lot on my mind…"

Madara shrugged. He knew better than to press Itachi; the more he did so, the less likely Itachi was to tell him. "If you want to talk to me, you know you can," Madara offered, and then went on. "Itachi, I am going to get straight to the point. I have obtained information that suggests that the leaders of the Uchiha clan are planning on taking over the village of Konoha. Since you are in ANBU, as my spy, already, you might be-no, you are-the man for the job."

Itachi's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What job?" he asked. "With all due respect, Madara-sama, I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about."

"The coup, Itachi," Madara said crossly. "I want you to stop it."

"That much I had figured, Madara-sama," Itachi said respectfully. "What I wanted to know was how you wanted me to do it."

Madara's eyes narrowed to slits of red. "Itachi, I am going to be very frank," he said sternly. "If you cannot do this, I will not force you to do so. However, you must be completely honest with me about your ability to fulfill this, the ultimate mission. Do not worry about your response-I will expect it only in one weeks' time, when we would normally meet again." Madara stood up, looking Itachi square in the face. "In order to stop the Uchiha from taking over Konoha, and essentially ruining it forever, I need you to kill your entire clan."

**A/N: A little bit of a cliffy for you all…not that you didn't know what happens already, but hey, it helps build suspense. Review, please. It makes me very happy!!**


	4. Chapter 4

Itachi almost fainted from shock. "K-Kill them?" he whispered, almost falling out of his seat with shock. "A-All of them?"

Madara nodded, calm as if he was ordering dinner. "That is correct, Itachi. I want you to stop the Uchiha clan from taking over Konoha by killing your entire family. Think carefully about this decision, Itachi, as I will not allow you to turn back once you give me your answer."

Itachi slowly bowed his head, biting his lower lip in anxiety. Why him? Why did he have to be the one…? Couldn't Madara have picked someone else? Someone, anyone-! Why Itachi? But deep down, Itachi knew he was the perfect choice. He was probably the most powerful in the clan, and he was in a good position to kill them all. No one would suspect him of being the one…

Itachi could hear the sounds of Madara getting to his feet, but still did not raise his head. He couldn't bear to look Madara in the eye right now. Madara walked over to him, stopping barely a hair's breadth from Itachi's bowed head. One hand gently came to rest under Itachi's chin, and Madara tipped Itachi's face up to his. "Think about it," he whispered, "And give me your answer next time we meet."

Itachi's teeth grit in concentration, and his eyes squeezed shut. He yanked his head away from Madara, looking down and away as he made his decision. Deep down, he knew he had to do it. It was the only way to stop a world-wide shinobi war…he just couldn't believe it had come to this. Itachi could hear Madara's footsteps tracking away from him, and knew that it was now or never.

"Wait."

Madara paused at the entryway to the cave, and half-turned to listen to Itachi. "Have you made your decision already?" he asked, trying to sound mildly surprised. But he knew he shouldn't be: Itachi was easy to read, and his desire to serve his village was his both strongest point, and his weakest point.

"I'll do it."

OOOOOOOOOO

Three days later, Madara stood on the wall of the village's border, watching the near-by Uchiha clan complex. He could see and hear the commotion: Itachi was raising quite a fuss. But, soon enough, it was still again, and Madara could see Itachi leaving the complex. He smirked, and withdrew into the shadows again. Itachi was so easy to manipulate: so innocent, so disgustingly sweet, especially towards his brother…Madara hoped Itachi had killed him, as well. While the little whelp showed great promise, he would probably never be able to tap that promise. Madara walked back along the wall, jumping down just before the gates and slipping into the forest to meet up with Itachi. He had instructed Itachi simply to flee the village as quickly as possible, walk for five minutes, and then wait for him. Madara had promised he would find him. And find him, he did! Madara found Itachi easily; the teen hadn't bothered to hide himself. He had simply collapsed on the ground, arms wrapped around his middle, looking sick. He was covered in blood, his hair matted with it and his skin covered in it. His ANBU uniform was soaked in blood, and his Sharingan was still spinning wildly. Madara approached with caution: Itachi looked crazy, and he didn't want to be on the receiving end of the teen's misplaced fear, aggression, and confusion. "Itachi?" Madara whispered. Itachi was on his knees, doubled over, seemingly in pain. All of a sudden, the teen leaned over even further, and a horrible retching noise issued from his throat. Madara held back for a moment as Itachi vomited horribly onto the grass, waiting until he was done to try to approach Itachi again. Madara knelt down next to Itachi, producing a towel from inside his long, thick cloak and beginning to wipe the blood off Itachi's face. Red tears fell to the ground, colored by the blood splattered on Itachi's face. Madara wrapped his other arm around Itachi's shoulders, and caught, in the ear that was turned, the smallest of whimpers from Itachi's throat. Madara hushed him gently, wiping the blood off of Itachi where he could. "Come on," he said gently, "Let's go. We need to get you cleaned up…"

Itachi nodded, and tried to wipe the tears off his face with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry," he whispered, but Madara hushed him again, this time by gently placing his hand over Itachi's mouth.

"Stop," he said firmly. "You were wonderful, my dear. You did everything I asked you to do, and did it perfectly. Now, hush. Come with me, and I'll get you cleaned up." Madara took Itachi to their waterfall sanctuary, guiding him deep into the room and showing him to a small bathroom. "Take a shower," he instructed. "I'll get you some clean clothes." Itachi only nodded, silent at this point, and walked into the bathroom, softly closing the door behind him. Madara then set about searching for something for Itachi to wear. He kept extra clothes around, but he wasn't sure if he had anything that would fit Itachi. The boy was so slender, and so small! Especially compared to Madara…sighing, Madara dug down into the closet, finally coming up with a small kimono. It would be a little big for Itachi, but it would work. And just in the nick of time; Madara heard the water shut off, and walked over to the bathroom, softly knocking on the door. "Itachi, I'm coming in," he warned, and slowly opened the door. Itachi had wrapped a towel around his waist and was now standing in front of the mirror, absently combing his hair. Madara handed him the kimono, and also a pair of boxers he had found that would fit Itachi. The teen accepted them without a word, and Madara decided to simply leave him alone at that point. Itachi would come to him when he was ready, and when he wanted to. Madara knew that crowding Itachi wouldn't help anybody. Madara, instead, lay down on the couch, picked up a book, and started to read. It was a novel he had been trying to finish for ages.

"Madara-sama?"

And, apparently, the end wasn't any closer in sight. After only three pages, Itachi came out of the bathroom, looking perfect, as always. His hair was back, neatly combed and tied into its usual ponytail. His skin was clean again, and now, the pale white Itachi normally appeared in was once again displayed. Damn, he was so pale…! He seemed to reflect a bit of the sparse light within the cave. Madara found himself experiencing a feeling he hadn't experienced in ages: lust. He wanted Itachi all of a sudden, and wanted him badly! Still, the Uchiha fisted down his desire. It wasn't right…Itachi was too young, and blood related to him. Well, maybe not…Madara wasn't sure if Itachi was directly related, or not, but if he was only related because of marriage, then Madara had no problems-

"Madara-sama!"

Itachi looked ready to break down. Madara stood up quickly, hurrying over to Itachi and taking the teen in his arms. Itachi wrapped his arms around his neck, leaning into his master and burying his face in Madara's shoulder. "Don't hate me," Itachi whispered. His voice was so soft, so broken, that Madara barely heard it. But it was there, and it almost pained Madara to hear the child in such distress. Yes, Itachi was still a child…innocence at heart, really, and child-like in his trust of Madara. Madara put his arm around Itachi's shoulders, and the other reached up to stroke the younger Uchiha's hair.

"Darling, how could I ever hate you?" Madara whispered, placing a soft, comforting kiss on the top of Itachi's head. "You have never wronged me, nor have you disobeyed me. Why would I ever hate you?"

Itachi let out a choked sob, but brought up the courage to say, "Because everyone else will."

Madara gave a soft, gentle sigh and pulled Itachi closer. "It's alright," he murmured. "Don't worry about it. I could never hate you, no matter what you did. You have nothing to be afraid of."

Itachi shuddered, but clung to Madara all the same. The elder Uchiha couldn't help but smirk over the child's head: he had Itachi right where he wanted him. Upset, confused, lost, betrayed, whimpering with fear and terror…Madara could now manipulate Itachi any which way he wanted, because all Itachi wanted was someone to cling to. Someone to comfort him, someone just to be there as a shoulder to cry on…and Madara loved it. Right now, Itachi was so utterly vulnerable…he wanted only for Madara to hold him, and nothing else.

Madara gently guided Itachi over to the couch, carefully lowering both of them together so they could sit. Itachi still clung to Madara, shifting his position so that he was lying against Madara's shoulder, legs bent off to the side, arms still around Madara's shoulders. Silent tears poured down Itachi's face, but they were slowly coming to an end. Madara sat quietly with Itachi for what must have been hours, just trying to calm Itachi down enough that he could string together a coherent sentence. And when the teen finally calmed down, Madara could swear he was mute.

Itachi sat with Madara, curled up in a ball against his side, while Madara stroked his hair. He had stopped clinging to Madara so desperately, but Madara knew Itachi wouldn't do well by himself for a good, long time. And, in Itachi's time, a good long while translated to a few days. Itachi was surprisingly resilient, and usually recovered quickly from just about anything. Hence why he was in ANBU so young and not having too, too many problems: he could handle the mental stress of being an ANBU officer. Madara himself had been surprised at first at Itachi's ability to bounce back from virtually everything, but began to exploit it soon enough.

"Madara-sama?"

Madara glanced down at Itachi, secretly delighted to hear the teen's voice. Itachi had his phases: first phase, he was numb. He acted normally. Second phase, he waited until he was completely alone, and then broke down. Itachi skipped this phase half the time, and it usually didn't involve breaking down as most people would: tears, wailing, beating their heads against the wall, and so on and so forth. Itachi usually channeled his fear and sorrow into aggression, and went to beat the crap out of something. Third phase, he went silent. Itachi rarely spoke when he was in his third phase, and only made a sound when it was completely and utterly necessary. Fourth phase, he was depressed. Itachi tried to act normally, but the smallest changes in his behavior suggested that he was in withdrawal, really. He spoke little, but it was not uncommon for him to do so. And finally, fifth phase: he got over it. Usually, Itachi would pass through each one of these phases in either a matter of hours, or even days. But it never lasted more than a week. Madara was surprised: this might just take an entire week for Itachi to get over!

"What, child?" Madara asked smoothly, acknowledging Itachi's question. Itachi picked his head up off Madara's shoulder, and then set it back down again, seemingly in a more comfortable position.

"What am I going to do now?"

Madara glanced down at Itachi, his hand pausing for a moment in Itachi's impossibly soft hair. "What do you mean?" he asked, resuming his gentle stroking. Itachi sighed, but leaned into the motions.

"I mean, I can't go back to the village now! I'm an outlaw!" Itachi sat up, and ended up on his knees a few feet away from Madara on the couch. "Where am I going to stay, what am I going to do for a living, who am I going to live with, how am I going to stay sane?! Madara-sama, you must have something planned out for me-otherwise you wouldn't have asked me to do this…! Right…?"

Madara nodded slowly, easing Itachi's fears. "I have a place for you to go to," Madara promised. "It's an organization called the Akatsuki. They have already accepted you, if wish to accept them."

Itachi sighed, letting his head hang. "What other choice do I have, then?" he whispered. "Tell them…tell them I'll join them."  
Madara couldn't help but smirk, even the smallest bit, at this. Itachi was so easily manipulated! He did whatever Madara said! The elder Uchiha scooted over to Itachi, taking the younger Uchiha into his arms again. "Calm down, my love," he whispered, "I would never leave you without anything you might possibly need."

**A/N: Whee. Chapter. Review, please? It makes me happy…**

**How do you guys feel about MadaIta...?**


	5. Chapter 5

The next day, Itachi met with the leader of the Akatsuki.

He kept his attitude in check, tried to be respectful, yet something of distant and slightly cold. The leader seemed to adapt to Itachi's attitude, responding with something even more cold. Itachi showed no emotion whatsoever, and the leader gave no hint of what he was thinking in regards to Itachi. Itachi and Madara left in silence, only Madara bothering to thank the leader for his time. As they were leaving, Madara didn't scold Itachi for his cold attitude-he understood that Itachi was still coping with the events of the past few days. But he did ask Itachi a question:

"What did you think?"

Itachi said nothing for a moment, almost so that Madara wondered if Itachi hadn't heard him. He gave Itachi a glance that clearly reminded him he had been asked a question, but the Uchiha only stared straight ahead, not even offering Madara a tilt of his head. But, after another moment, Itachi answered. Of course, it was in his own, interesting way:

"He's a masochistic whore with no taste in men."

Madara was rarely surprised, but now was one of those rare times he was wrong. His eyebrows rose, almost disappearing into his hairline, and he felt his jaw slacken. Madara quickly snapped it shut again, letting his eyebrows fall back to their normal positions. He shook his head, sighing with defeat. Itachi's mind was constantly out of reach on the roof of the house of understanding and rational thought. But, occasionally, it rolled into the gutter. Madara couldn't possibly hope to understand the cat-like, aloof, teen. But hell, he wouldn't hurt too much to try…or could it? After all, this was Uchiha Itachi they were talking about…the boy was more unstable then a building balanced on a pin.

"What makes you say that?" Madara finally choked out. He wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. Itachi glared, but otherwise gave no hint of his emotions.

"He's covered in piercings, he kept flirting with that red head in the room, and he claims he did most of those piercings himself."

Madara could see where Itachi drew his conclusions, but he wasn't entirely sure they were accurate. "I know him personally," Madara started, "And while he might come on as someone unsavory, he's not that bad once you get to know him…"

Itachi snorted. "I refuse to get to know him," he sniffed arrogantly. "He will be my boss, but that will be the extent of our relationship."

Madara sighed. "He expects a lot from you," he warned. Itachi sighed.

"Doesn't everyone?"

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi had been accepted into Akatsuki. Big surprise there. But the shocker was who he was paired with: an eight-foot tall, three hundred and fifty pound man who looked like his father was a giant and his mother was a shark. The man looked about thirty, and carried around a giant sword that was half his height, and the same height as Itachi. When the leader introduced the two of them, Itachi could only stare up, and the other man, whose name was Kisame, could only stare down. Naturally, Itachi said nothing, showed no expression on his face, and kept even his eyes quiet. But, the other man seemed to have something to say.

"B-But Leader-sama!" he sputtered. "He's a…he's a…he's just a kid! He's a shrimp, too! He's barely half my size!"

"He massacred the entire Uchiha clan single-handedly," the leader said smoothly, turning away from Kisame. "He'll do fine with you. Besides, I think you two will get along quite well." Kisame could swear his leader was smirking as he walked away, but he was wise enough to keep his mouth shut. He did, however, let out a small sigh, just to let his superior know exactly what he thought of this arrangement. The door to their shared apartment slammed, and Kisame was left alone with Itachi.

"Look, kid," Kisame growled, leaning over to get into Itachi's face. Surprisingly, though, Itachi didn't even flinch. Kisame was thoroughly confused, but didn't show it. This kid might have an attitude, but he was going to fix that fast! "You might think you're all that, just because you killed your mommy, but I've got so much bounty on my head, they're willing to pay for a drop of my blood. So don't get any ideas about-"

"Amaterasu!"

"Huh?"

Black flames came flying down towards Kisame, and Itachi's eyes flashed a dangerous red. Kisame took a step back, startled, but too late realized that the flames were already catching onto the edges of his cloak. With a shout of surprise and fear, Kisame tore off the cloak, flinging it away from his body. Itachi glared, and said nothing for a moment to let his lesson sink in.

"They might kill for your blood, but they'll kill for my scent."

Kisame never said anything rude to Itachi again.

OOOOOOOOOO

Pein could hear Itachi and Kisame working out the pecking order between them, and smirked as soon as the screaming began. Itachi had, as he suspected, taken no shit. It seemed that both knew the natural order of things by now, and so Pein felt it was fine for him to split. He made his way back down to his office, knowing very well that he had a guest before he even entered the room. The walk to his room seemed to take forever: he knew who was waiting, and anticipated their meeting as if they hadn't seen each other in years. He had come with Itachi that first day, and Pein knew immediately that he had to allow Itachi into the organization. Whenever Madara-sama came with an applicant, Pein knew that it was required of him to let them in. Just their way of communicating. Pein forced himself to walk at a normal pace, heading downstairs to his office using a small shortcut he knew about. He entered his office silently, gently shutting the door behind him ad turning around, fully expecting not to see Madara. The man liked to hide, and then try to scare him when he was least expecting it. It usually worked. Instead, he was standing behind Pein's desk, leaning over to read a paper on top of a pile. Pein smiled, and approached him, announcing his presence with a small word.

"Hello, Madara-sama. I haven't seen you lately."

Madara glanced up, shook his head, and walked around the desk to Pein's side. "Not much," he said slowly. "And it's just been business."

Pein nodded, sliding closer to his master. "I know," he said softly, reaching up to place his hand on the side of Madara's face. Madara slipped a small kiss into Pein's palm, and then reached up to catch Pein's wrist in his hand.

"So frustrating," the Uchiha commented. "But, so is young Itachi. I find myself wanting him more and more each day…and then, I forget about you."

"I'm hurt," Pein whispered, laying his head against Madara's shoulder. Madara smirked, gently stroking Pein's hair with his other hand. He had both of his love interests begging at his feet like whores. He was so good at playing this game!

"Now, now, you know it's just because I've been missing you," Madara murmured. "My body simply wants the touch of a beauty, and Itachi was just right there…"

Pein suddenly shot away from Madara. "You didn't, did you?" he asked, seemingly struck by Madara's words. "You didn't cheat, did you?"

Madara laughed, taking Pein's hand again. "Of course not, love," he said smoothly, slithering closer to Pein again. One hand snaked around his waist, winding sinuously into his lower back. "How could you doubt me? I told you I was thinking about it. But then I thought of you, and I felt so bad…so I decided to come and see you."

"Remind me again of how you said goodbye?" Pein whispered. It was almost a satisfied purr-as if Pein had actually been jealous of Itachi. Madara smiled and leaned into Pein, lowering his head to take Pein's lips in his own deep, sweet kiss. So hot, so sweet, with the slight metallic tang that came from his piercings. Madara could come to believe, in honesty, that Pein's claims about being a god were true. Madara's hand dropped from Pein's hand to his wrist, taking it in a tight, controlling grip and forcing his lover to spin around and back up. Pein was forced into the wall, and Madara pinned him to it using his own body. A moan escaped Pein's throat, caught by Madara and swallowed by the kiss. Simply intoxicating…Madara pushed his tongue into Pein's mouth, pushing his way in and claiming Pein's mouth as his. Pein had no objections: he willingly opened his mouth, wrapping his own tongue around Madara's and pulling him in. Madara could taste the heavy metallic taste of the piercing in Pein's tongue, and teased around it. Pein moaned again, but this was a breathier, more pleasure-clouded sound. Madara smiled into their kiss, nipping at Pein's tongue and pulling him into his own mouth. Pein refused, however: he knew his place was to be submissive to Madara, and never to take Madara's bait. Madara was a sadistic lover, and took any chance he could to control Pein. Pein hardly minded, but occasionally, he had to stop Madara from being too rough with him.

"Baby…" Madara whispered, grabbing Pein's hips and pulling him into his own body. Pein moaned at the friction, letting his other hand wrap around Madara's shoulders. He couldn't free his other hand from Madara's grip: the Uchiha had him in a vice-like grip, and Pein knew better than to struggle. It was just inviting Madara to be even more dominant. Pein did, however, begin to grind his hips against Madara's. He knew that his master enjoyed it when he showed eagerness, but that he was still screaming like a desperate little slut. A rough squeeze to his ass drew a sharp yelp from Pein's throat, and Madara quickly backed off. He understood that sometimes Pein wasn't willing to go so far, and usually backed right off. Pein took a moment to catch his breath. Madara had held him so close…it felt like he was suffocating. Pein loved Madara's overpowering presence, but it left him struggling to breathe and clutching at Madara like a child.

That was probably why the two loved each other so much.

Pein and Madara spent the night together, reminding each other of why the other didn't cheat.

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi settled in fairly quickly with Kisame. He soon deciphered the shark-man's personality, and then applied his own methods of dealing with him. He would defer to Itachi on a usual basis and a normal scale, but would speak his mind whenever he had something to say or when he wanted to do something a different way. Once he knew who Itachi was and what he could do, he was respectful, and usually tried to compromise. But he stood his ground against Itachi when he really wanted something strongly, which Itachi liked. It showed him that he couldn't always get what he wanted, and that having a second opinion should be valued. The two got along very well after the first day, and it was soon well-known that Itachi and Kisame were the only two in Akatsuki that actually got along.

Itachi had tried meeting some of the other members of the Akatsuki, but it was more of a freak circus than an organization. All Hidan cared about was his religion, and causing himself pain. All Kakuza cared about was money, and causing Hidan pain. Orochimaru was creepy, a whore, and a super-genius. Sasori was calm quiet, and then an explosive with a tail. It turned out that he had turned his entire body into a puppet, except for a container which he kept in his puppet's torso. Itachi soon saw Sasori in his true form, and found himself laughing at the same time. He had seen Sasori in his true form having sex with Orochimaru. Zetsu argued with himself. Tobi shouldn't even be in Akatsuki, since the kid was hardly older than five, mentally. Pein was a complete mystery. Konan was a bipolar mother to the entire Akatsuki. Itachi only liked Kisame, Orochimaru, and Pein. They all minded their own business, and they didn't treat him like shit.

Once, Kisame had asked him a question that unsettled Itachi deeply.

"Do you miss them?"

Itachi had almost choked on his dinner, and Orochimaru had to punch him in the back to get him to cough it back up. Itachi swallowed, made some noise of disgust, and replied, "Of course not!" But, later on, he found himself thinking: did he really miss them? He had tried to dismiss the thought, but it was hard to do. Itachi was sitting in the library, reading a book, with only Orochimaru for company, when he said, "Thanks for punching me."

Orochimaru seemed startled, but offered a small, awkward, Orochimaru-equivalent-of-a-"You're welcome, I guess." Itachi smiled, and stood up, returning the book to the shelf. "Hey," he said, walking over to Orochimaru, "You know about the Uchiha clan wipeout, right?"

Orochimaru nodded. "Of course," he said. "Who doesn't, at this point? Look, if you ever need to go back to Konoha, I've got some stuff there too I need to get-"

Itachi grabbed Orochimaru, and kissed him.

**A/N: Well…that's it. Updates might be a bit slow, but, other than that, I am still with this. I'm growing kinda attached to this story...well, review!! : )**

**P.S.-Madara's such a pimp.**


	6. Chapter 6

Orochimaru staggered back, shocked from Itachi's kiss. Shocked, to say the least. More like bowled over, knocked flat, or floored. But, soon enough, Orochimaru took what was happening in and got himself fairly used to it, or as much as one could on the fly. He simply regained his balance, and let Itachi kiss him. It wasn't a lengthy, romantic kiss: it was a few seconds, and more of a spur-of-the-moment type of thing. Orochimaru simply let Itachi have his way with him. Soon enough, though, Itachi considered himself finished, and backed off. Orochimaru just stood there for a second, still getting his bearings, and found himself staring at Itachi. The Uchiha gave him only a smirk in return, stepping back and staring in return. But it was more of a leer than a stare-Orochimaru could see the lust in the teenager's eye, and found himself feeling something of the same, forming deep in his chest. It also gave him shivers, though, to feel those dark, sinful red eyes staring him down, with clear want and satisfaction in them. Orochimaru wasn't even sure of the kid's ability: to be admitted into Akatsuki so young, he had to have some sort of exceptional talent. He might be on even footing with Orochimaru…

"Damn, you really are a whore."

Itachi simply turned and walked away, leaving Orochimaru floored again. The snake simply stood there for a moment, mouth hanging open, until he finally regained his composure and shut his mouth. Orochimaru gave a small sniff of indignance, and then thrust his nose into the air and paced away, looking miffed. Orochimaru was thoroughly insulted, even if Itachi's words were half-true.

Only half true!!

OOOOOOOOOOO

"Leader-sama?"

Pein glanced up from the papers he was sweeping up off the floor, and sighed with annoyance. Not now! Madara had since left, and left him with a mess. The two of them had settled on having sex on the desk, and, of course, today was the one day Pein had an insurmountable amount of paperwork on his desk. Because today was the one day he had actually managed to motivate himself to do it. Not that he minded Madara's visits-he just wished that they would be less messy Pein scooped up a few more papers, then grabbed a handful and simply shoved them in the roomiest drawer in his desk. "Come in!" he called, picking up the last of the papers and pretending like it was only one that had fallen. Konan entered the room, grinning like a Chesire cat and looking like she had some juicy gossip up her sleeve.

"Hey, you know that new kid, Uchiha Itachi? Of course you do. Anyway, I just saw him kiss Orochimaru!"

Pein looked mildly surprised. "Really now?" he said slowly. "Who was kissing who? Since we all know who the whore is, out of those two."

"Itachi kissed Orochimaru," Konan confirmed, still grinning viciously. "I can't believe it! But, wait, it gets better," she said quickly, seeing Pein about to speak. "Itachi called Orochimaru a whore!"

"To his face?" Pein asked incredulously. "Right to his face?" Konan nodded, and Pein made a face. It was clear that it wasn't pretty when someone called Orochimaru a whore straight to his face. "That's not good," Pein muttered. "How did our little slut react?'

"He just kind of stood there, looking floored," Konan said, shrugging. "But that Uchiha kid better not sleep tonight, because Orochimaru will have his vengeance. Ever woken up with piercings you never remembered getting?"

Pein screwed up his face in concentration. "Actually, I have," he said. He seemed sort of surprised at himself, almost.

"That's because you woke up next to Madara," Konan snorted. "Why do you think you don't remember them?"

"Hilarious," Pein muttered. "Now go?"

"No."

Konan gave a sniff of offense, but then, the look on her face changed. It went from mildly offended and defiant to slightly confused and relatively disgusted. "What is that smell?" she asked, sounding beyond grossed out at this point. "It smells like two horny men decided to go and screw each other on a desk." She sent Pein a glare, and _then_ turned around, walking right out of the room. Pein was left sitting there, close to slamming his head on the desk in frustration.

He did just that.

Pein simply let his head fall, allowing it to hit the desk with a rather loud, offending, _clunk! _A small whine of pain; some other noise of displeasure. Pein decided that emotion was best not to be shown at this moment in time. And just as well: another knock sounded on his door, and Pein let out a small, almost inaudible sigh of annoyance. It would not be able to be heard on the other side of the door. "Come in," Pein muttered, picking up his head and propping it up on one hand. He began sifting through papers with the other, sighing again with annoyance. But there was a difference this time: it was perfectly audible to the person entering the room. Well, speak of the devil: it was none other than Uchiha Itachi. "What?" he snapped, glaring at the teen through piercing gray eyes. Itachi looked slightly put off, but swallowed his fear and approached Pein. He stopped a few feet away from the desk, though, and seemed to hesitate. Finally, he bowed, and addressed Pein.

"I would like to know what Orochimaru is like."

Pein raised a single eyebrow, and then gestured to the seat opposite on, on the other side of the desk. "Sit," he said with a sigh. "Why do you as?" he continued, folding his hands in front of his mouth. "Is he bothering you?"

Itachi shrugged. "In a sense," he said slowly. "He just…kind of skulks around and just acts weird in general, usually more so around me. I wanted to know if this was normal, or if he was doing something out of ordinary with which I should be concerned."

Pein let out a disparaging snort, allowing his eyes to briefly close while he thought out the situation. He made his thoughts align themselves, and then began to speak. "Orochimaru usually does skulk around and act weird in general, but I'd be acting sort of weird, too, if some random kid I barely knew beyond name and face just kissed me out of the blue."

Itachi shrugged, seemingly unfazed by Pein's comment. "I wanted to see if the rumors were true," he commented dryly. "I wanted to see if Orochimaru really was as big a whore as everyone said he was. Turns out, he's just about worse."

Pein had to chuckle at this, reminding himself of the fact that Itachi had called him a whore, as well. "Don't sleep tonight, kid," he warned, letting his folded hands fall to the desk. "He will kill you in your sleep for that. Last time someone called him a whore, Orochimaru tried to choke him with a spoon, and then put something like a billion genetically altered scorpions in his bed. And then, the next week, when we thought he had calmed down, the guy found itching powder in all of his clothes-underwear included. He took supplements for vitamins? Yeah, totally replaced with estrogen tablets." Pein rolled his eyes in amusement. "Yup, Orochimaru's vicious in the worst of ways. And sometimes, even worse. I finally caved, and gave him an IQ test, and a brain scan: something like an IQ of two hundred and twenty two. And his brain was, like, the size of a cantaloupe. Pretty funny, actually, although Orochimaru wasn't amused that his head was being compared to fruit."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, sitting back in his chair and crossing his legs. His arms folded across his chest, and his looked surprised and amused at the same time. Boy, there was a lot of that going around today, wasn't there? "And how did he get back at you?"

"Oh, he didn't," Pein said lightly. "See if he respects you, you don't even have to worry. Because, so far, there's only one person he fears, and truly fears: me. Establish yourself as someone to be trifled with, kick him around a little, he'll learn. Like I said, he's got IQ points to burn. Getting hit on the head a couple times might do the rest of us some good." Pein smirked, and kicked up his feet on the desk, as if to mock Itachi, saying, _I can get more comfortable than you, and make it look just that way!_ Itachi nodded, knowing when he was dismissed, and stood up. He gave Pein the formal, respectful bow, and then left the room. Pein could hardly contain a chuckle: Orochimaru was so dead if he tried anything on Itachi. Because while Orochimaru was vicious, Itachi was a hungry wolverine.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Madara sat in his room, disguised as Tobi, just sitting. Zetsu was out; he had no one to impress. He had to admit, his disguise was tiresome. Perfect, but extremely tiresome. Madara felt like he was five years old. He sighed, removing his mask and unpinning his hair. The magnificent locks splayed out from around his face, spiking out behind him in the typical style of Uchiha males. Sasuke had it, his father had it when his hair was shorter, Itachi had refused it and grown it out so it was impossible for it to spike out…Madara sighed, shaking his head and trying to alleviate the stress put on his hair having it pinned short for so long. He set his mask down on the vanity in the bathroom, walking in and flicking on the light above the mirror. Madara ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face. He then pulled his bangs forward, letting them hang forward over his shoulders. He then straightened the rest of his hair a bit, re-arranging the spikes so they looked natural again. Madara didn't want to wait for them to settle again; it took too long, and looked weird in the process. He finally finished with his hair with a sigh of satisfaction, and then turned tail and walked out of the bathroom. He stripped off all his armor at the same time, revealing a black pair of pants and a black top, cut tight to his skin. But Madara wasn't looking for sex today-or, at least, not yet. Maybe later…Pein was being a bit defiant, and needed a lesson. But, not the point. Madara put on his usual set of armor, red in color and styled like an ancient samurai's armor. He decided to take a shortcut to Pein's office-he had something to ask his dear little slut. He put his hands together, forming a hand sign to channel his chakra. The dark blue energy began flowing, and Madara focused enough of it to ask for a short-distance transportation jutsu. He got it, and appeared in Pein's office, right behind the orange-haired man. He had appeared silently, and Pein's back was turned to him, so Madara deiced to scare him a bit. He soundlessly took out a kunai and a piece of cloth, and approached Pein with deadly skill and silence. Within a second, he had covered Pein's eyes, and was holding the cloth tightly over Pein's spiraled gray eyes, pressing the kunai to his throat and pulling Pein's head back with the blindfold. "Guess who," he whispered, voice slightly raspy from lack of proper use. Pein swallowed hard against the kunai, and Madara felt his body jump with excitement: Pein was actually nervous! He had really caught him by surprise, and Pein had no idea who he was! He didn't know how Pein didn't recognize his own lover's voice, but he could easily correct that. Madara knotted the blindfold, using the pressure of the kunai and a slight verbal command to coax Pein to his feet. Pein obeyed, not uttering a word, and stood quietly as Madara ran a single finger down the curve of Pein's spine.

"Go on, guess," he whispered, placing a soft kiss on the back of Pein's neck. All of a sudden, Pein's entire body seemed to relax, and he spoke.

"My apologies, Madara-sama, he whispered, turning around and placing his hand on Madara's shoulder as if he wasn't blind at all. "I was afraid you were upset with me."

Madara smirked, and relaxed his hold on Pein. The kunai came away from his lover's delicate neck, and he pulled the blindfold off of his face with little more than a gentle tug.

"Of course not," Madara said softly, gently stroking the side of Pein's face with the palm of his hand. "Trust me, love, you would know if I was angry with you." Madara found it so sweet that Pein tried to please him so, always and every time. "I would be so much nastier to you…"

"Please, don't tell me what you would do to me," Pein whispered, sliding closer to Madara and looping his arms around his neck. "It would most likely scare me out of affection for you. I would be afraid of doing anything to upset you."

Madara had to chuckle at this, and put his arms around Pein's waist. "Never, my dear," he purred, stroking Pein's hair. He was still being submissive-was he still slightly nervous? No, Madara couldn't feel tension in his body…well, then, to business. "But, sadly, I did not come for your affections. I came to ask about Itachi." Madara and Pein mutually eased away from each other, and Pein nodded.

"He's doing quite well," he started. "Already noticing Orochimaru and disciplining the snake."

Madara nodded. "Good…good. Well, then, let me know if anything happens."

Pein nodded in return, but slunk closer to Madara again. "Now, with business out of the way, may I…?"

Madara's smirk seemed to stretch forever. "Of course."

**A/N: very sexy. If anyone wants to see some heavy-duty yaoi, I will up this to "M" and start breaking out the couples…so, let me know what you think. My apologies, but due to a spammer, I had to disable anonymous reviews for a few days. They are back now, now that the story the spammer was reviewing for is finished, so I'm hoping he will stop posting nonsense about cheese now that the story is no longer being updated. Thank you to everyone that tried to review, and you may now put in your reviews. : ) "M" rating people-also, put in pairing preferences. I like these things!!**


	7. Chapter 7

Dinner that night was beyond awkward.

Orochimaru kept stealing nervous glances at Itachi; Itachi kept sending Orochimaru vicious glares. Orochimaru would then shrink back a bit, glance at Itachi one more time, and then take a sudden interest in his food-which he had hardly touched. Sasori and Kisame kept glancing at each other, trying to figure out what was going on. Kakuza kept kicking Hidan under the table, seemingly as revenge for something, or trying to send him some sort of message, but all his earned him was a rather sexual moan from Hidan. Causing Kakuza to kick him again and the cycle continued. Pein and Konan were really sensing the awkward tension at the table, and kept trying to bring people into a conversation, to maybe break the tension. Instead, they just made it worse. Eventually, Pein gave up, and he and Konan just settled for fidgeting in their seats under the awkwardness of the entire scenario. No one could stand it, but no one wanted to be the chicken and be the first to get up and leave.

Finally, a savior emerged.

"I'm not hungry," Orochimaru announced, standing up abruptly and practically fleeing out of the room.

"Huh, I am!" Kakuza proclaimed, reaching over to grab Orochimaru's untouched food. Suddenly, a _hiss-snap! _resounded throughout the entire kitchen, and Konan gasped with shock. A huge python had suddenly risen up in Orochimaru's place, and was now wolfing down Orochimaru's food. Kakuza sighed, rolled his eyes, and sat back in her own chair, gently rubbing his hand where the python had bit him. The snake finished remarkably quickly with its meal, and slithered off at its own will. Pein sighed, and glanced around the table.

"Kindly smash that over Hidan's head, someone. It's not like we're eating off _that_ anymore…"

Itachi was the first to comply, brutally slamming the plate down over Hidan's head and bringing him to an immediate state of unconsciousness. Itachi then simply walked away, shaking the blood off his hands-his own, from the plate shattering in his hands. It revealed that Itachi had actually crushed some of the plate between his own hands, in addition to Hidan's skull. Pein wasn't sure what was wrong with the teen, but he walked away, dumping his own plate in the sink as he exited the kitchen. Konan noticed, with a wry grin, that Itachi had eaten everything on his plate.

"Dude," Kakuza muttered, watching Itachi go, "He just crushed every dream of mine, stealing my thunder like that…"

"Get over it."

Sasori dumped his own plate in the sink, and then exited the kitchen, almost exactly as Itachi had. Pein sighed, finished his own food, and then ran out of the kitchen, no wanting to be the last one out.

Last one out cleaned up.

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi stepped into his room, sighing with exhaustion at the current situation. He dumped his Akatsuki cloak on the chair in front of his desk, and then continued on without a falter in his step. Orochimaru had been like this for several days, and it was clear he was interested in Itachi. He wasn't even denying it, either: but he wasn't admitting it. Itachi gave a long, drawn out huff of annoyance, falling backwards to sit down with a _flop! _on his bed. He wasn't even sure how to approach Orochimaru just tell him: "Fuck off!"

"I wish."

Wow, that was out loud, wasn't it?

Itachi stiffened at the sound of another voice in the room-a voice that belonged down the hall, with Sasori, and certainly not here! Itachi whipped around, kunai in hand. Orochimaru was stealthy-well, duh, he was a snake-but he was a complete mystery to Itachi as far as everything else went. Itachi decided to go for it. He lunged for Orochimaru, kunai drawn, and grabbed the man's shoulders, shoving him down to the floor and pinning him down. Itachi straddled Orochimaru's hips, using his own mere weight to drive Orochimaru down into the floor. Itachi grabbed one of Orochimaru's wrists-the one that came up to touch him, and pinned it down above Orochimaru's head. Orochimaru seemed surprised that Itachi had overpowered him-his eyes held a mild amusement that Itachi wasn't sure belonged there. He pressed the kunai to Orochimaru's throat, threatening to draw blood if he made one wrong move. Itachi noticed that Orochimaru's neck was fairly easy to get to-for some reason, he wasn't wearing his Akatsuki cloak, either.

"What the hell, you whore?" Itachi hissed, putting even more pressure on Orochimaru's wrist. He could feel the trapped sannin underneath him twitch in pain, but ignored it. He needed Orochimaru's cooperation, and he knew that the best way to get it was intimidation.

"I came here for revenge on you for calling me a whore," Orochimaru muttered, "But I guess you're not that stupid. I probably could have thought that out more-someone younger than I, on the same skill level? Not younger by much, in body-this one is twenty-six. But mentally, I am forty-odd years old. Technically, I should be far above you."

"Shut it, snake," Itachi spat, pushing Orochimaru further down into the floor. This time, Orochimaru let out a pained hiss, his eyes closing in his attempts to control the pain he was feeling. Itachi felt his heart jump at the sight: Orochimaru was so undeniably sexy in pain…an idea hit.

"Tell you what," Itachi suddenly said. "I'll let this little encounter slide…if you do me a favor."

Orochimaru's now-open eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What kind of favor?" he said slowly, wary of a trap.

"Not a big one," Itachi intoned, leaning down to place his lips against Orochimaru's neck. "Not for you, anyway, since you want this anyway. But…" Orochimaru's eyes widened in surprise, and Itachi suddenly attacked the pale skin of Orochimaru's neck. A dark red stain rose to the surface of Orochimaru's paper skin, forming a bruise where Itachi had bitten him. Orochimaru couldn't feel blood flowing, though: Itachi hadn't opened a wound? Orochimaru couldn't deny, but he couldn't deny the pleasure, either. Itachi was showing an interest in him, and he wasn't about to pass it up. He allowed a small, breathy moan to escape his throat, and Itachi was completely taken in. He came back up, claiming Orochimaru's lips in a deep, bruising kiss. Both ninja felt the electrical shock of the kiss, and this time, they knew it was for real. Itachi pushed harder, demanding more from Orochimaru than to simply kiss him back. Orochimaru gladly returned, pushing his tongue into Itachi's mouth and dragging the Uchiha's tongue back into his mouth. There was a quick battle for dominance of the kiss; Orochimaru quickly lost, having simply given in to the pleasure, at that point. A swift parting of their lips, and a hurried breath of air, and then both plunged back in. Itachi forced into Orochimaru's mouth, nipping at his tongue to subdue him. Orochimaru didn't need much persuading, and quieted under Itachi's command. Hands began to wander, and rather sinfully, at that. Itachi groped Orochimaru shamelessly, bringing a priceless blush to the sannin's face. He was used to having a rough fuck, but never felt up like this! Itachi couldn't but feel slightly proud of himself at the reaction-he hardly had any experience in the matter.

And that was when it hit him-he was a virgin, and he was planning on topping.

How well was that going to work out? Not great. But, there was a solution.

Itachi finally pulled back from Orochimaru's mouth, letting them both take a few deep breaths and maybe not die of suffocation. Itachi knew what to do now, and he knew Orochimaru would do it. This would also give him a bit of experience, so he could say he wasn't a virgin anymore the next time he felt like fucking Orochimaru.

"Blow me."

Orochimaru seemed a bit surprised at the words, but didn't hesitate to strip Itachi of his pants. Orochimaru carefully slid out from underneath Itachi, and the Uchiha climbed to his feet. Orochimaru knelt in front of his lover, knowing how much it would turn Itachi on to see him submissive at his feet. Sure enough, Itachi could hardly contain himself at the sight of Orochimaru submissive (or almost.) Orochimaru wasted no time: he opened his mouth, taking in Itachi's entire length at once, and immediately beginning to suck on it. Itachi threw back his head, a deep moan of pleasure issuing from his throat. He fisted his hand sin Orochimaru's hair, yanking him closer as Orochimaru continued to suck him off, seeming to ignore Itachi's reaction to the pleasure. Orochimaru could feel Itachi growing impatient, though, after a minute, and knew it was time to move on. He tipped his head back, swallowing Itachi's member and beginning to repeatedly swallow. Itachi moaned again, deeper, and longer, expressing his pleasure vocally. Orochimaru's mouth worked wonders over Itachi; it seemed that the pale man was nothing but sin itself, lust and pleasure combined in a beautiful long-haired beauty that was currently kneeling on the floor in front of him while Itachi fucked his mouth. Itachi had to wonder how many times Orochimaru had done this-he was so skilled!

But the very thought drove a stake of jealousy through his heart, and Itachi suddenly realized that he was growing attached to Orochimaru. This wasn't just a one-night stand, now, was it? The thought of having this slut in another's arms, pleasuring another, was almost repulsive to Itachi. Maybe he was just getting possessive…the Uchiha decided that was it. He just wanted Orochimaru all to himself. And, with that final thought, Itachi threw back his head, pulled back a bit, and came into Orochimaru's mouth. The sannin swallowed without skipping a beat, and, when Itachi was finally finished, released him, and rose to his feet. Orochimaru wiped away the remnants of Itachi's passion with the back of his hand, still breathing a bit from their liaison. Itachi took a deep breath, and pulled his pants back up, and then, both just stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next. It was significantly awkward, having nothing to say, and nothing to do…

"Thank you," Itachi finally said, breaking the tense silence between the two. Orochimaru nodded, and walked over to the couch, sitting down and waiting for another reaction from Itachi. Surprisingly, the Uchiha walked right over to him, and sat down next to him. He looped one arm around Orochimaru's shoulders, drawing him close and placing a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. He figured he wanted to wait until Orochimaru had cleaned out his mouth to actually kiss him again…

"You're welcome."

OOOOOOOOOOO

"So…"

"So."

Pein and Konan were the last ones in the kitchen, and neither seemed to want to leave. Konan nibbled at a chocolate chip cookie she had chosen for dessert, and Pein was fiddling with the last of his dinner. Konan finally just shoved the rest of her cookie into her mouth and split, just wanting to get out of the awkward situation. Pein, realizing he was the last one in the kitchen, sighed and put his head in his hands, bracing his elbows on the table. Not so much out of relief, as the heavy burden of the awkwardness had been raised from his shoulders, but the simple fact that he was the last one in the kitchen.

The number one rule in Akatsuki: last one out of the kitchen had to do the dishes.

**A/N: Short…but sexy. : ) Rating moved to "M." Review, please? Smut gave me such writer's block…**


	8. Chapter 8

If you thought dinner last night was awkward, you got nothin' on breakfast.

The entire table was dead silent. Ever since Itachi had walked in, late, the room was quiet, for the most part. It hadn't helped matters that what the Uchiha slept in was a pair of slut shorts and a beater. Pein didn't care how hot it was outside, he ordered Itachi put some clothes on. Itachi just said "no!" in a defiant and rather petulant manner, plopped down at the table, and began munching cereal out of the box. He almost broke Kakuza's hand when the older man reached over to take the cereal, and when that didn't work, Itachi flat-out bit him. The table was silent again, and Itachi finally poured a bit of milk into the box, drank the rest of the cereal, and made himself toast. And then the silence came again-once Kakuza had stopped cussing Itachi out. Every now and then, someone would cough, and then whoever was next to them would deliver the choking person a stunning five-star for the record books, causing them to choke out whatever was in their trachea. The choking person was also left with a distinct, hand print shaped bruise on their back, right between their shoulder blades. So far, Hidan, Itachi, Pein, and Orochimaru had choked. Hidan, because he wanted Kakuza to smack him. Kakuza, however, refused, and so it ended up being Kisame saving Hidan's life. Itachi choked on his toast when Hidan asked him if he was a virgin. Itachi had coughed up his now rather disgusting wad of toast, spit it out, thanked Kisame, and then answered Hidan in an honest "no." That was when Pein had choked, and Konan just punched him between the shoulder blades at that point. Kakuza then turned to Orochimaru and asked him if he was a virgin, just to see if he would choke. Orochimaru did, and Sasori was the one who smacked _him_. Orochimaru took the sweetest breath of his life, and then answered "no." The result was a distinct ripple of laughter, and then Hidan choked again-from laughing with food in his mouth. Orochimaru had blushed furiously and run off, having finished his breakfast when he choked. Konan, meanwhile, was calmly eating her eggs, trying to pretend like nothing was wrong.

It really wasn't working out too well for her.

Every now and then, Konan would get the sense that everyone was staring at her. And not just a normal stare (staring was quite common in Akatsuki-the entire thing was a freak show led by the amazing Piercing Man.) This was a stare that clearly refocused blame, as if to say, "This is all your fault!" Konan could feel the stares, and the meaning of said stares-she just didn't say anything. Don't let it get to you, and it can't hurt you. Finally, the stares would cease, and Konan would just continue with her breakfast. Finally, she finished, stood up, and left the kitchen, claiming she needed to clean out her closet today. A snide comment from Sasori and one broken puppet arm later and Konan was gone for good, and Orochimaru was long gone, way ahead of everyone else.

Slowly, everyone else began clearing out of the kitchen, until finally, it was just Pein and Itachi. Pein gave Itachi a slightly scolding glare which Itachi, being a teenager, instantly knew what it meant: he was about to get chewed out.

"Dude, eat the cereal out of a bowl. The box is now completely soaked through, and dripping everywhere."

"Yeah…so?"

"So, I'm not cleaning it up. And I don't want to see that shit again in the future. And put some pants on, my God. You look like a prostitute, I swear."

"I'm not going anywhere. I can't stand having everything piled on me all the time. I need air."

"Get air when no one needs to look at that hot body."

It took Itachi's morning brain a second to catch up with what Pein had just said. Then, a few seconds later, the shock hit him, almost like a ton of bricks, were he not so used to it. "Pein, didn't know you swung that way."

"Both ways, thank you."

Itachi sighed. "You and everyone else in the damn world."

"That many people are bi?"

"That many people think I'm hot."

"Dude, you would make half of the world's population of men go gay, and half of the lesbians go straight again."

"…good to know?"

"You're welcome!"

Itachi sighed, rolling his eyes. How many times had he heard that he was just that damn sexy? Itachi knew that the blush on Orochimaru's face from earlier was clearly directed at the memories of the night before, when Itachi demanded a blow job from Orochimaru. And, of course, the little slut had complied-gladly. It was his entire life's dream come to a close, Itachi swore. He knew better, of course, but still. The Uchiha stood up, dumping the cereal box in the trash and his spoon in the sink. He then left the kitchen, leaving Pein to pray to whatever god existed that Itachi was going to put some bloody fucking clothes on. He then realized something that was probably a bad thing:

He was the last one in the kitchen.

Pein let his head fall back, groaning loudly with something resembling disappointment. He felt like he had been suckered, in a way. Still, Pein began to gather the dishes, putting them in the dishwasher and trying not to break the table in frustration. He had to admit, it would feel absolutely amazing to simply smash one of those plates against the floor…

"Boo."

Pein whipped around, almost smacking himself against another male, slightly taller than him. Pein's forehead would have been at their collarbone, had he not been slightly crouched. Pein straightened, suddenly realizing who it was who had startled him. Although, the plate in his hand wasn't so lucky as to avoid crashing into Madara. The porcelain fell to the floor, shattering into a million pieces with a decidedly loud _crash! _Pein sighed, offering Madara a deep bow and a murmured apology. Madara shook his head as his lover dropped to his knees, picking up the pieces of the plate shard by shard. "Don't trouble yourself," he said softly, reaching down and gently taking Pein's wrist in his hand. Pein instinctively released the pieces in his hand, letting them fall back to the floor as Madara tugged him to his feet. Madara's hand came together in the sign of the tiger, and Pein could feel a spark of chakra fly through his piercings. He stood back, allowing Madara to work his magic through whatever he was doing. As Pein watched, the pieces of the plate rose, and began assembling themselves in the normal order that they were normally in. Within seconds, the entire plate was back together, put together like the perfect pieces of a puzzle. Even the dust was scooped up off the floor and fused back into the plate. Madara then handed it to Pein, saying, "Please, darling, be more careful?"

Pein gave Madara a small, wry grin, replying, "Well, it was your fault. You scared me."

Madara's returning grin was slightly disturbing to Pein. "Ah, I suppose," he said lightly, waving it off and beginning to help Pein load the dishwasher. "My apologies, then, my love."

Pein seemed mildly surprised. "An apology? Well, thank you. I have to say, I'm touched."

Madara smiled, and closed the dishwasher. "I can't exactly leave my lover think I'm perfectly alright with placing all blame on him, now, can I?" Madara stepped closer to Pein, one arm snaking around the younger's waist. Pein smiled, slipping closer to Madara and laying his head on Madara's shoulder. Madara felt Pein's arms slide up his chest, seeking his shoulders, and caught one of Pein's hand sin his own. He placed a delicate nip in the palm, eventually drawing out more kisses to trail down Pein's arm, all the way up to his neck. Madara skipped over where Pein's fishnet shirt met his arm, and then pushed it off his shoulder to bite at the pale skin there. Apparently, even Pein didn't wear his Akatsuki cloak before breakfast…Madara bit down a bit harder, eliciting a soft gasp from Pein. Madara sealed his lips over the swiftly darkening mark, sucking lightly and drawing the sting of blood to the wound. Madara then licked at the wound, pulling Pein's blood into his mouth and moving on to eagerly kiss at Pein's neck. Pein groaned, arching into Madara's touches and fighting for his freedom to touch Madara back. Madara growled softly in warning when he felt Pein jerk against his grip, and only tightened it more. "Mine!" he snarled, shoving Pein back against the wall. "And you do as I say!"

"Y-Yes, Madara-sama," Pein whimpered, submitting to his master's desires. When push came to shove, both parties knew that Madara was Pein's master, and held him on a very short leash. Madara now pulled this leash even tighter, drawing Pein in to his body and taking his other wrist in a firm grip. Madara crushed his lips onto Pein's, silencing any protest the other male might have had as he forced his hands behind him and bound him tightly with some trap wire Madara always carried around in his kunai pouch.

"Now, don't you dare fight," Madara whispered, tying the wire in a knot and taking Pein's shoulders in his hands. "Because, not only will I not be happy with you, you'll hurt yourself. And I can't stand seeing you bleed unless I directly made you do so."

Pein fought down a submissive whimper, but soft touches from Madara brought it forth again. Madara had begun petting Pein's stomach, sliding his hand up Pein's shirt and gently petting the soft flesh he found there. Pein let out a soft, breathy moan, and Madara crushed their lips together again. Madara's other hand slid beneath the waistband of Pein's pants, toying with his growing hard-on. Pein's hips suddenly jerked up, fighting for more of Madara's soft, sweet caresses. Madara smirked, and slowly began pulling down Pein's pants. Pein still twisted his body, though, trying to get them off sooner. Madara was torturing him!

"Baby, stop," Madara whispered, pressing a hand to Pein's hip and pinning him down. Pein whined in protest, and continued to fight. Madara tightened his grip, resulting in a harsh bruise on Pein's hip. Finally, the Rinnegan master quieted beneath Madara's hand, and the Uchiha yanked off Pein's pants. "Spread your legs," Madara continued, and Pein obeyed immediately. Madara thought that this had to be the hottest thing he had ever seen: Pein spread out, covered in blood and sweat, longing for Madara's touch and willing to beg like a dirty whore if he had to. Madara's smirk only widened at this, and he lowered his hand to gently stroke between Pein's legs. Pein bucked his hips, urging Madara on. The Uchiha circled Pein's tense entrance with one finger, relaxing the muscles there before pushing only his first finger in. Pein was lucky; he didn't want to take him rough today. Still, Pein thrust down on that single finger, trying to get more of Madara inside him. Madara inserted another finger shamelessly, scissoring his fingers to stretch Pein open a bit more. A third finger was added, and this extracted a long, low moan of pain and pleasure from Pein. Madara continued to finger-fuck Pein, working his way up his lover's body to straddle his hips and kiss him again. Pein whimpered, breaking the kiss by whipping his head to the side.

"More," he begged. "Please, Madara-sama…Madara-sama, please, just fuck me already! Madara-sama, take me, please!"

And that was all the persuasion Madara needed. Seeing his lover spread wide for him, begging and looking like quite the little slut, Madara stripped himself of his pants, freeing his own erection and plunging right into Pein. Pein screamed now, arching his back and moaning in the sheer pleasure of the moment. Madara lost himself in Pein, moving immediately and thrusting himself in and out of Pein's tight hole, fucking him senseless, like there was no tomorrow for either of them-!

After several minutes of stroking Pein and fucking him into the floor, the Rinnegan master finally came into Madara's hand. Madara now felt no shame in coming, and emptied his load into Pein with a harsh, low groan. Madara lay on top of his lover, panting and trying to catch his breath for a moment while his body finished the job. But, once he was done, he still didn't move away. Pein knew that Madara liked to lay with him for a little while after sex, but this was risking it: they had just fucked on the kitchen floor! Finally, Madara pulled himself of Pein with a slight groan, pushed himself to his feet, and grabbed a paper towel from the counter. He wiped himself off, pulled up his pants, and just took a moment to sort himself out. Meanwhile, Pein was struggling to sit up, finally managing to do so by squirming against the cabinets behind him and working his way into a sitting position, knees bent and legs off to one side. Once Madara had taken care of himself, he bent over again, cutting Pein loose from his bonds with a kunai he had in his weaponry at the moment. Pein took another paper towel for himself and cleaned himself off, putting his clothes back on and trying to get himself under control. While it had been a relatively quick fuck, especially compared to their other liaisons, it had still been a good one. Madara helped Pein to his feet as his lover rearranged his clothing, and then took a step back and threw out the dirty paper towels. Madara then came back to Pein, putting his arm around Pein's waist and drawing him closer for a soft, sweet kiss.

"You're wonderful," he whispered, and continued murmuring sweet nothings to his lover for a few minutes. Pein was quite content to stand there and listen.

**A/N: Woo. Sex. Yummy. Please review, and let me know what you think! : )**


	9. Chapter 9

It took Pein and Madara both a minute to recover from their little adventure on the kitchen floor; it also took a few minutes to clean up. There was a bit of blood and a lot of Madara's and Pein's "excitement" on the floor, as well. Pein was lucky Madara didn't torture him this time around-it would be on the cabinets, and possibly over much more of the floor than before. Not that Pein minded-he liked it rough, really. He loved it when Madara took him, bound him, and played him with him for a good, long time. Nothing excited Pein more than bondage, and no one knew that better than Madara.

Once the two finally finished cleaning up (and sitting around "recovering") Madara decided it was time to get to business. Why was it that, whenever Madara needed something from Pein, he only got it after the sex? Not that he was complaining: it was just an observation he currently found very interesting. Pein was sitting in Madara's lap, arms around his neck, head on Madara's shoulder, eyes closed. He was happy there; Madara was happy, as well. After they had cleaned, Madara had sat down at the table, looped one arm around Pein's waist, and pulled the other man down. Pein had accepted the invitation gladly, sinking into Madara's embrace and offering his lover a gentle kiss as thanks for the luxury. Madara stole a second kiss from Pein's lips, softly nipping at Pein's lips as he made to pull away. Pein had allowed his lover one last, deep kiss before they parted, and then, Pein had settled into Madara's softer side. It was rare that his lover would allow him such a pleasure, as to lay with him, and simply be fondled by his lover, even long after they had had their wild sex. How long, then, since Pein had been allowed to rest in Madara's arms like this? Weeks, now…and it wasn't even that Madara didn't want to be affectionate with Pein, it was just that they didn't have the time. Hell, they didn't have the time now, but it seemed that Madara didn't care. He was holding Pein like he never wanted to let him go. And, for all Pein knew, he didn't.

"Baby…"

Pein moaned lightly, not wanting to disturb the moment, and the pain of having it disrupted. "Please, Madara-sama, whatever keeps you here, holding me," he whispered, nuzzling deeper into Madara's neck. This brought a hearty chuckle from his master and a firm, yet gentle, hand on his head. Madara took a bit of Pein's hair in his hand, easing him up and off his shoulder.

"Comfortable, pet?" he said softly, but there was a teasing undertone to it. Pein nodded, but secretly felt a bit stung that Madara would refer to him as his pet. It must have shown on his face, for a small frown worked its way into Madara's features, and he raised a hand to run his thumb over Pein's lips. "And what brings such a sad look to such an angelic face?" he murmured, placing a soft kiss on Pein's cheek. Pein blushed slightly at the concern, and turned his head.

"Madara-sama, am I your pet, or your lover?" Pein asked directly, meeting Madara's eyes and asking him in all seriousness. Madara suddenly smiled again, and placed another kiss on Pein's face, but this time, on his lips.

"My darling, of course you are my lover," he said. "But, I do admit, I do treat you like a pet sometimes. What, don't like it when I stroke you, and hold you like this? Don't like it when I collar you, and chain you, and discipline you for being naughty? You are mine, darling, and I want you to understand that. But, if you feel abused, please, tell me."

Pein was touched at the concern, and immediately felt bad for the accusation. "No, Madara-sama," he said quickly, shaking his head. "I just got a little worried, when you called me your pet…I just wanted to make sure it wasn't related."

"Of course not, love," Madara whispered, nipping at Pein's ear. "Why? Craving a bit more attention from your master?"

Pein felt a slow smile work its way over his features, and deviously straddled Madara's hips. "Always," he said seductively, leaning in and kissing his master. Madara grabbed Pein, forcing the Rinnegan master closer to him and drawing him into a lusty, passionate kiss. They barely broke for air, but when they did, Pein managed to insert into the pause: "Please, master, take me hard tonight. Remind me exactly how bad I've been."

Madara placed another claim on Pein's forbidden lips, breathing into his lover's mouth, and sharing his equally passionate words. "My pet, you've been a very bad boy," he murmured, forcing his way down Pein's neck and biting harshly at the skin there. "I can't believe I tolerate this behavior. I'm going to have to tie you down and beat you."

"Nothing short of it, master. Discipline your slave."

"Oo, you're my slave now?" Madara hissed, licking at the wound he had just made. Pein released a deep, lust-filled moan, throwing back his head and leaning into Madara's touches. "I like it. Come here, baby: obey me, or I can't reward you."

"PG-13 in public. Get a room."

Pein and Madara suddenly jumped apart at the female voice permeating their love-fest. Pein felt a sudden blush arise on his cheeks, and hesitantly raised a hand to cover the bite Madara had put on his neck. Konan smiled at the position her partner was in: draped over Madara's lap, both of them clearly horny, kissing their faces off and talking trash. Simply gorgeous. Why had she stopped them again?

"Alright, clearly, you two have business to attend to," Konan said, a smile on her face and in her voice. "So, tell me what needs to be done, and I'll see if I can get you two in a room together, away from all prying eyes." Suddenly, Konan stopped, and gave an exaggerated sniff at the air. "Dude, why does it smell like sweat and…men parts in here?"

Pein and Madara shared a slightly chagrined glance, before Pein bit his lip and climbed off Madara's lap. "I'll just be going now," he said slowly, edging away from the scene of the crime and towards the door. "Madara-sama, coming to teach me a lesson I won't forget?"

"Of course, my pet," Madara purred, jumping up from the chair and following Pein out the door. Konan rolled her eyes. Those two were so horny it wasn't even funny. Actually, yes, it was a little funny. But nearly as funny as it was sexy.

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi was in his room, lounging.

The Uchiha was stretched out over the smaller of the two couches in his shared apartment with Kisame, head propped up on one arm and feet propped up on the other. Itachi was dressed only in his half-fishnet shirt and his shinobi pants. He had forsaken his shoes, cloak, leggings, and even his headband, at this point: comfort was a priority, and Itachi was a teenager. If they could take it off without being labeled something nasty, they would. And then, they would wad it up and use it was a pillow. Itachi wasn't using any of the above as a pillow, but he was certainly making himself comfortable. He was reading a magazine, which was propped up on his stomach. Jeez, he had a six-pack...how did a fourteen year old have a six-pack? Well, chalk it up to hormones and life as a teen in a shinobi world.

A knock sounded on the door.

Itachi put down his magazine and got up to answer it, and then opened the door, seeing as it was Konan. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" she asked. "Privately? This is important."

Itachi nodded wordlessly, and closed the door. The two walked into the room, and Itachi closed the door behind Konan. He clicked each of the four locks into place, and then walked back over to Konan. He walked ahead of her into the sitting area of his apartment, sitting down on the couch and gesturing to an armchair across from him. "By all means, sit," he said, and Konan accepted graciously. "So, what did you need?" he asked, when both of them had settled in. Konan gave a wistful sigh, and ran one hand over her sinuses. She felt a migraine coming on…oh, stress. Such a lovely thing to have to deal with.

"Look, I'm not going to beat around the bush," Konan said. "You aren't going to have it easy here. Everyone is going to pick on you for being the youngest, and you'll have to prove yourself eventually. My advice: show 'em exactly who they're screwin' with. Pein let you in completely on Madara's word: normally, Pein would have a test of some sort to initiate people. You didn't get that, which gives others even more bullets for their guns. That's why I've decided to help you out with that." Konan reached into his cloak, and then deep into her kunai pouch. From it, she produced a small scroll, plain tan in color, but with a red and green colored border and tied with a red bow. "This should prove yourself to everyone else. We just lost Orochimaru-"

Itachi let a devilish smirk work its way over his face. "I probably shouldn't tell you why, now, should I?"

Konan rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to know. You two got into a fight?"

"Sort of," Itachi shrugged. "But, anyway, what's this mission you've got for me that's supposed to get everyone off my back?"

Konan casually tossed the scroll to Itachi, who caught it easily with one hand. "Open it," Konan encouraged, and Itachi slowly pulled the string off the rolled up piece of paper. He slowly cracked the seal, peeking inside, as if expecting an explosion of some sort. When nothing happened, he continued to unroll the scroll until he got to the blank of the paper. Itachi read over the paper: it was a missing-nin from Iwaga. Pein had his eye on him, and Madara had approved of the recruit. Someone just needed to find him, now, and convince him to join. "You want me to find him, and bring him back," Itachi murmured. "Did Pein assign this?"

Konan shook her head. "And you're not going to say anything about it until everyone loves you," she hissed, "because then Pein will kill us both!"

Itachi smiled slightly, glancing up at Konan. "I'm in," he said, rerolling the scroll. "When do I leave?'

"Whenever," Konan said, standing up. "You keep that. It has a full biography, last seen, skill information, and the like. I'd keep that on you, and go over it thoroughly."

Itachi nodded, tying the scroll closed. "What about everyone noticing I'm gone?" Itachi asked. "I've already got enough explaining to do for Orochimaru-not that anyone liked him, but he was still a pretty good shinobi to have on our side. He got quite an earful, too."

"I'll worry about explaining your absence," Konan said, waving him off with a flick of her wrist. "And we'll deal with Orochimaru soon enough. I'll worry about that, too. Just succeed in that mission, and we'll be good."

Itachi shrugged ambiguously, and stood up as well. He walked Konan to the door, and held it open for her as she exited. Nice woman, Konan-how did she ever end up here? Oh, right: Pein dragged her into it.

Her, and everyone else in the world.

**A/N: Yay, one chapter left…actually, not yay, but whatever. I'll probably have a new ItaKaka out soon…and it's gonna be intense. Like, I'm aiming to make you people cry for real reading that stuff intense. So, yeah, let me know what you think of that idea…**


	10. Chapter 10

Sasuke sat quietly under the tree, overlooking the former Uchiha complex. He was living with some family friends for a time; until he could live on his own. The village would supply him with enough money to live, and also provide him a place to live free of charge. But, beyond that, he was on his own. Sasuke sighed, turning away from the disheartening view. He hadn't heard anything of his brother; only that he had joined some evil organization called Akatsuki, and that no one really wanted him to come back. Sasuke didn't either. He had thought Itachi was less of a shinobi, and more of a brother. Well, we're all wrong at some point.

He had thought Itachi loved him. He had thought his older brother cared about him! He had always known that Itachi and his father hadn't really gotten along, but to kill his entire family? It was going a bit far, in Sasuke's opinion. He just couldn't imagine it….his entire family. Murdered. In one night, Itachi had single-handedly killed every single Uchiha in existence, save for himself. Sasuke was still in shock a month later. He had tried to go on, though; to just forget Itachi. But still, he couldn't. Itachi's last words haunted him: _You're too pathetic to kill. If you want to live, run. Run, and cling to life, living dishonorably and hating me. That is the only way you can kill me; if you hate._

Sasuke shivered. The look in his brother's eyes then was that of a madman. It looked like Itachi had lost all his senses, and had suddenly become someone else. Well, who wouldn't change-ANBU at thirteen? And captain! You had to make that impossible choice between lives and the mission, and then decide who would lose more, and if the loss was worth it, and…it all must put such a strain on the mind. Sasuke could understand the insanity, but he wondered what had made Itachi kill his entire family.

The youngest and last Uchiha jumped down out of the tree, landing on his feet and walking away from the complex. It was time for his classes at the Academy, anyway.

Life went on. And Sasuke vowed then and there never to die until Itachi preceded him into the underworld.

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi stood in front of the blonde, staring up angrily at the little snot. The idiot…he thought he could stand up to him and win! Itachi had heard Deidara was a bit hard-headed, but this was the last of the Uchihas he was staring down! The moron…Itachi wanted him to hold still just so he could punch him. Not even so he could bring him back to Pein, not even close. He just wanted to punch the kid's lights out. He looked no older than Itachi, really. Itachi could probably relate to him, if he wasn't such an idiot.

"Look," Itachi growled softly, in his usual monotone. "I didn't come here to argue with you. You can either come quietly, or I can make you come. Leader-sama wants you for the Akatsuki, and that's not an option."

"It is for me, un!" Deidara proclaimed. "I don't listen to anybody, especially stuck up jerks who think they can boss me around!"

Itachi sighed, rolling his eyes with exasperation. He just didn't get it, hm? "You have no idea who you're talking to, do you?"

Deidara smirked, shaking his head. "Sorry, no, un. So, if you're not famous, that means you're no threat, un."

Itachi felt a smile twitch at the corners of his lips. "You have no idea."

OOOOOOOOOOO

Itachi fought Deidara for what must have been hours-after their first exchange of blows, Deidara had offered Itachi a wager. If Itachi won their fight, he would come to Akatsuki, and he wouldn't say a word about it. He would come quietly, and everyone would be happy. But, if Itachi lost, he had to leave Deidara alone for the rest of their time on this earth. Itachi said it sounded fair, and acquiesced to Deidara's terms. He was lying, of course: if Deidara wasn't smart enough to request a blood contract, than he owed the brat nothing. And words meant nothing in today's world.

Deidara fought with explosives; Itachi fought fire with fire, and then wind, and then earth. Deidara began using an enormous, flying clay bird halfway through the battle, gaining an edge by using his new power of flight. Itachi chased him with fireballs, and then used genjutsu to confuse Deidara and force him to land. Deidara was surprisingly easily snared-Itachi had to wonder why. Someone Pein wanted for Akatsuki was this easy to fool by a mere illusion? Itachi shrugged, and walked over to Deidara. The blonde was kneeling on the back of his bird, shivering with the frightening illusions Itachi had presented him with. Itachi pulled Deidara off the bird, leaving him in the genjutsu, and then kicked the bird with disdain. Stupid piece of clay…it almost cost him an arm. As it was, Itachi bore the blood and cuts and bruises from the birds, spiders, and…well, frankly, Itachi didn't know what else Deidara had thrown at him, but whatever it was, it had blown up. Itachi dragged Deidara away from the bird, dumping him against a tree and then tying him to it. No sense in having him escape before he got a chance to release the blonde, no? Itachi reached down to Deidara's face, pushing his fingers under Deidara's bangs to touch his forehead. He usually did try to touch the forehead to dispel genjutsu-it was the closest access point to the brain, which genjutsu acted upon. The forehead was also a central point for the senses.

Itachi's fingers brushed metal.

The Uchiha's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Metal? A prosthetic of some sorts? Itachi lifted Deidara's bangs, curious, to say the least. Itachi could feel the blonde began to tremble even more under his touch, but ignored him for the moment. He pushed Deidara's bangs up, revealing a large, but streamlined metal scope over Deidara's left eye. Itachi's brow furrowed, but he still plowed on, curious ever more. He lifted the scope from Deidara's eye, looking underneath it.

The eye was scarred, and deeply so. Across the endless expanse of baby blue, there was a white-blue slash, like a knife had been plunged into Deidara's eye. Itachi felt his heart go out to the blonde-he clearly had not done this to himself. It must really suck to only have vision in one eye. Then, Itachi recognized the purpose of the scope-to enable Deidara to see again. So that was why he was so easily caught in genjutsu-he would have had to adjust the scope to get around it, and he just couldn't do it in time.

Deidara whimpered.

Itachi was rather caught off guard, but then remembered that his genjutsu was still in place. Deidara's visions must have been responding to his touch, and reminding him of the incident where his eyes had been stabbed. Itachi carefully replaced the scope, and then quickly dispelled the genjutsu.

He was met with angry curses.

Deidara was surprisingly robust for someone who had just woken up from one of Itachi's illusions. Well, he was tough, Itachi would give him that. Itachi tried not to let on that he had seen Deidara's eye-he instead smirked, and gently patted the blonde's head. "I win," he said smugly. "Now, let's go."

Deidara suddenly seemed to realize that situation he was in, and sighed dejectedly, averting his eyes from Itachi. His hair fell back into place over his eye, and the blonde looked all the more depressed with that lock hanging over his face. He almost looked like a sad little kid…he really did look like a child, what with his baby blue eyes, big and inquisitive, and his long, blonde hair, all in his face. Itachi, honestly, thought he looked adorable, sitting there and pouting. Deidara cursed slightly under his breath, and Itachi couldn't resist the stinging smack her dealt the bomber. "Watch your language," he snarled, slapping Deidara rather soundly across the face. "I'm not taking shit from you."

"Pimp," Deidara growled. Itachi was about to bite back, but then realized-he probably looked like it, from Deidara's point of view. Especially if he had heard about Orochimaru. Yikes…

"Let's go," Itachi finally said, reaching down and untying Deidara. He grabbed the blonde's wrist, pulled him to his feet, and immediately threw him onto his cute little flying demon bird. "You're the one who knows how to steer this thing; I'll tell you where, and you go there. Very simple."

Deidara complied, but grumbled the entire way there.

OOOOOOOOOO

Pein was happy to see Deidara, to say the least. He also was impressed with Itachi for beating the blonde-haired bombshell, and gave Itachi a day off. He then took Deidara to introduce him to his new partner. Itachi figured it was Sasori; Orochimaru had been Sasori's partner and, now that he was gone, he would be replaced. And Pei wasn't likely to switch around people and mess up pairs. Sure enough, Deidara ended up with Sasori, as Itachi had thought. Itachi simply went back to his room and took a long, long shower. He was tired, and just wanted something to eat. And then, of course, to curl up in bed and sleep. And that was exactly what he did. After his shower, Itachi went into the kitchen, made some instant ramen, and then went and took a nice, long nap. Kisame was kind enough not to disturb him: and he also had the common sense not to.

OOOOOOOOOO

Itachi stayed with the Akatsuki until his death. Over the course of the years, Sasuke changed allegiances several times, always ending up on the wrong end of the bargain. But, somehow, he managed to kill his brother, leaving Madara the last remaining Uchiha. Sasuke never knew about Madara until Itachi's death; the oldest Uchiha had simply never bothered to reveal himself. Sasuke switched allies one last time, this time siding with Madara and going after the last of the bijuu. Pein and Konan remained with Madara, who never showed himself as Tobi again. Zetsu and Kisame both remained with Akatsuki, the only four remaining members from the original Akatsuki. Madara used Sasuke and his team of Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu to complete the Akatsuki and seal all nine bijuu. Vengeance upon Orochimaru was never wreaked; the snake-man survived Sasuke and Itachi's battle, manifesting himself in Kabuto and then emerging into a new body. He claims to have forgotten Itachi; or done his best to do so. Itachi never cared. And he never will; he can't.

Forever still, a once-vibrant heart longs to tell his story. A story of love, betrayal, heartbreak, lust, power, mistrust, and hate. Itachi wanted to tell his brother for so long that he had done what he did for Sasuke himself. If the Uchihas had succeeded with their coup, they could have destroyed the entire known world. And while it killed Itachi to do so, he had to. And so, he killed them all, sparing only Sasuke for his own sake. This, Madara revealed to Sasuke after Itachi's death. But, by then, it was too late. Itachi was dead, and nothing could bring him back.

But Sasuke could sure as hell try. Orochimaru had done it, no?

**A/N: Short, but I like it there. I might make a sequel, but for now, it's done. Please review; I like cookies and cake and pie and-**

**Oh, Happy Thanksgiving! :D**


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